Hunting French ducks in a noisy environment

We consider the effect of Gaussian white noise on fast-slow dynamical systems with one fast and two slow variables, containing a folded node singularity. In the absence of noise, these systems are known to display mixed-mode oscillations, consisting of alternating large- and small-amplitude oscillations. We quantify the effect of noise and obtain critical noise intensities beyond which the small-amplitude oscillations become hidden by fluctuations. Furthermore we prove that the noise can cause sample paths to jump away from so-called canard solutions with high probability before deterministic orbits do. This early-jump mechanism can drastically influence the local and global dynamics of the system by changing the mixed-mode patterns. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.