Study of the transient motion in the cochlea.

The transient problem obtained from a three-dimensional hydroelastic model of the cochlea is studied. In the model, the fluid motion is described by the linearized Navier-Stokes equations, and the basilar membrane is modeled as an elastic plate. The resulting problem is first reduced through the use of a slender body approximation which is, in turn, simplified by introducing expansions in terms of the reciprocal of the Reynolds number. With this, the wave-like nature of the solution is analyzed, comparing it with the long-time solution, as well as with experiment.