Ordering Role of Additive Noise in Extended Media

We consider two examples of extended media under the influence of additive noise: a coupled stochastic oscillators and spatial nonlinear lattice which contains overdamped oscillators. In both systems role of the additive noise is crucial. In the first system additive noise increases signal to noise ratio, resulting in stochastic resonance. In the second system additive noise causes phase transition manifesting itself in the formation of ordered spatial patterns. Surprisingly, we find parallels between two phenomena considered.