Minimal model for investigation of noise-induced bubbling

The term ’bubbling’ refers to the phenomenon where high-frequency oscillations appear abruptly within a restricted phase range, distorting the signal waveform in various power electronic applications. Recent investigations suggest that this phenomenon may be triggered not by changes in the topology of underlying invariant sets but rather by an extreme amplification of disturbances, attributable to noise in physical experiments and rounding errors in simulations. This work proposes a minimal (archetypal) model to investigate this phenomenon. The primary purpose of this model is to predict how various parameters of the underlying system influence noise-induced bubbling. The model’s predictions were verified through physical experiments, which confirmed that an increase in the noise level can trigger the occurrence of bubbling, as expected. Moreover, the same effect can be caused by an increase in the frequency modulation ratio, contrary to established expectations. • Bubbling: Suddenly appearing phase-restricted high-frequency oscillations. • Bubbling may arise from exponential amplification of noise. • A minimal (archetypal) model predicts noise-induced bubbling. • Increased noise or frequency modulation ratio can induce bubbling. • Experimental results confirm model predictions of noise-induced bubbling.