Describing-Function Analysis of Thermally Self-Excited Mechanical Oscillators

This paper presents an example of the broad applicability of techniques developed initially for use in a specialized field. Describing-function techniques, which are useful in the analysis of nonlinear circuits, are applied to the analysis of thermally selfexcited mechanical oscillators. The amplitude and frequency behavior predicted by this method of analysis are in qualitative agreement with the observed behavior of typical oscillators.