Experimental confirmation of the scaling theory for noise-induced crises

We investigate experimentally the scaling of the average time {τ} between intermittent, noise-induced bursts for a chaotic mechanical system near a crisis. The system studied is a periodically driven (frequency f) magnetoelastic ribbon. Theory predicts that for deterministic crises where {τ} scales as {τ}{~}{}f-fc{{{}}}^{{{-}}{γ}}$ (f${f}c$, f=${f}cat crisis), the characteristic time between noise-induced bursts (f≥{f}c) should scale as τ~{{{σ}}}^{{{-}}{γ}}g(f-{f}c${}/{σ}), where {σ} is the noise strength and {γ} is the same in both cases. We determine {γ} for the low-noise (``deterministic'') system, then add noise and observe that the scaling for {τ} is as predicted.