David Mountain asked:
....... but does anyone question whether the classical traveling wave plays a role in at least passive propagation of acoustic energy to the best place?
Strange question, I must say, very strange. ....... Do you think you have improved your life by not reading literature that you don't like? Lionell Naftalin, Martin Braun, and Andrew Bell have been doing just that what you now seem to be interested in. Their views are documented in the archival literature, and since 1992 Braun has even been presenting an integrated new theory of the function of the traveling wave.
Again, the only traveling wave from base to peaking place that has been observed is the high-level one (above ca 60 dB). A low-level traveling wave from base to the place of neural characteristic frequency (CF) was assumed by Bekesy and his followers. However, it could never be found, despite 20 years of laser interferometric measurements of basilar membrane (BM) motion in vivo down into the subnanometer range.
Martin --------------------------------------------------------------------- Martin Braun Neuroscience of Music S-671 95 Klässbol Sweden email: nombraun@xxxxxxxxx web site: http://www.neuroscience-of-music.se/index.htm