CRJ-200 HAS NOISE IN NOSEWHEEL AREA FROM AN UNDETERMINED SOURCE AFTER TKOF. MAINT DETERMINED THAT A VALVE FOR NOSE LNDG GEAR DOORS WAS AT FAULT.

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CLBING THROUGH 8000 FT; LOUD; RAPID; CLUNKING NOISE BEGAN FROM THE NOSEWHEEL WELL AREA. I TOLD THE FO; THE PF; TO DISCONNECT THE AUTOPLT; SLOW THE ACFT DOWN AND LEVEL OFF. WE HAD NO CAUTION OR WARNING MESSAGES AND NO INDICATIONS OF A PROB. I PULLED UP AND CHKED ALL EICAS PAGES WITH SPECIAL ATTN TO HYDS; FLT CTLS; AND DOORS PAGES. OUR FLT ATTENDANT CALLED ASKING IF WE KNEW OF THE NOISE AND PAX CONCERNS. I TOLD HIM WE WERE HANDLING THE PROB AND WOULD GET BACK TO HIM AS SOON AS WE COULD. I FOUND NOTHING ABNORMAL WITH THE ACFT; USING ALL OF THE INDICATIONS AVAILABLE. I FEARED WE MAY HAVE A NOSE GEAR DOOR SEPARATING FROM THE ACFT. I DECLARED AN EMER WITH MEM AND REQUESTED A RETURN TO MEM. WE RAN THROUGH ALL NORMAL CHKLISTS AND NOTIFIED THE FLT ATTENDANT AND PAX OF THE SIT AND THE RETURN TO MEM. WE LANDED WITH NO PROBS. I ADVISED THE FO TO TAKE IT WAS EASY ON LNDG AND EASY ON BRAKES USING MAX REVERSE THRUST AND LETTING THE ACFT ROLL TO THE END OF THE RWY. WE HAD NO FURTHER INCIDENT SO I CANCELED THE EMER AND TAXIED TO THE GATE. MAINT FOUND A HYD VALVE FOR THE NOSE LNDG GEAR DOORS AT FAULT. MAINT CHANGED THE VALVE. WE FERRIED THE ACFT HOME WITH NO PROBS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR HAD EXPERIENCE A GEAR DOOR SEPARATION IN HIS BACKGROUND. THE NOISE STOPPED AFTER A TIME WHICH LED TO THE ASSUMPTION THAT THIS COULD BE THE SIT AGAIN.