The residence time around different parts of a chaotic attractor is studied
experimentally for nonlinear dynamical system with a double-scroll. It is
shown that the dynamics of jumping from one scroll of the attractor to the
other produces a distinct low-frequency peak in the otherwise featureless n
oise-like background produced by the chaotic dynamics. This peak can be int
erpreted as a distribution of residence times and follows a lognormal distr
ibution. A few similarities with the phenomenon of stochastic resonances ar
e also highlighted. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.