Computer simulation of fatigue under diametrical compression

We study the fatigue fracture of disordered materials by means of computer simulations of a discrete element model. We extend a two-dimensional fracture model to capture the microscopic mechanisms relevant for fatigue, and we simulate the diametric compression of a disc shape specimen under a constant external force. The model allows to follow the development of the fracture process on the macro- and micro-level varying the relative influence of the mechanisms of damage accumulation over the load history and healing of microcracks. As a specific example we consider recent experimental results on the fatigue fracture of asphalt. Our numerical simulations show that for intermediate applied loads the lifetime of the specimen presents a power law behavior. Under the effect of healing, more prominent for small loads compared to the tensile strength of the material, the lifetime of the sample increases and a fatigue limit emerges below which no macroscopic failure occurs. The numerical results are in a good qualitative agreement with the experimental findings.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figures, RevTex forma

Antiferromagnetic O(N) models in four dimensions

We study the antiferromagnetic O(N) model in the F_4 lattice. Monte Carlo simulations are applied for investigating the behavior of the transition for N=2,3. The numerical results show a first order nature but with a large correlation length. The $N \to \infty$ limit is also considered with analytical methods.Comment: 14 pages, 3 postscript figure

Approachability with Discounting

We establish a version of Blackwell’s (1956) approachability result with discounting. Our main result shows that, for convex sets, our notion of approachability with discounting is equivalent to Blackwell’s (1956) approachability. Our proofs are based on a concentration result for probability measures and on the minmax theorem for two-person, zero-sum games

Singular diffusion and criticality in a confined sandpile

We investigate the behavior of a two-state sandpile model subjected to a confining potential in one and two dimensions. From the microdynamical description of this simple model with its intrinsic exclusion mechanism, it is possible to derive a continuum nonlinear diffusion equation that displays singularities in both the diffusion and drift terms. The stationary-state solutions of this equation, which maximizes the Fermi-Dirac entropy, are in perfect agreement with the spatial profiles of time-averaged occupancy obtained from model numerical simulations in one as well as in two dimensions. Surprisingly, our results also show that, regardless of dimensionality, the presence of a confining potential can lead to the emergence of typical attributes of critical behavior in the two-state sandpile model, namely, a power-law tail in the distribution of avalanche sizes.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

Localization for a matrix-valued Anderson model

We study localization properties for a class of one-dimensional, matrix-valued, continuous, random Schr\"odinger operators, acting on L^2(\R)\otimes \C^N, for arbitrary $N\geq 1$. We prove that, under suitable assumptions on the F\"urstenberg group of these operators, valid on an interval $I\subset \R$, they exhibit localization properties on $I$, both in the spectral and dynamical sense. After looking at the regularity properties of the Lyapunov exponents and of the integrated density of states, we prove a Wegner estimate and apply a multiscale analysis scheme to prove localization for these operators. We also study an example in this class of operators, for which we can prove the required assumptions on the F\"urstenberg group. This group being the one generated by the transfer matrices, we can use, to prove these assumptions, an algebraic result on generating dense Lie subgroups in semisimple real connected Lie groups, due to Breuillard and Gelander. The algebraic methods used here allow us to handle with singular distributions of the random parameters

Vortices, Infrared effects and Lorentz Invariance Violation

The Yang-Mills theory with noncommutative fields is constructed following Hamiltonian and lagrangean methods. This modification of the standard Yang-Mills theory shed light on the confinement mechanism viewed as a Lorentz invariance violation (LIV) effect. The modified Yang-Mills theory contain in addition to the standard contribution, the term $\theta^\mu \epsilon_{\mu \nu \rho \lambda} (A^\nu F^{\rho \lambda} + {2/3} A_\nu A_\rho A_\lambda)$ where $\theta_\mu$ is a given space-like constant vector with canonical dimension of energy. The $A_\mu$ field rescaling and the choice $\theta_\mu=(0,0,0,\theta)$, one can show that the modified Yang-Mills theory in 3+1 dimensions can be made equivalent to a Yang-Mills-Chern-Simons theory in 2+1 dimensions if one consider only heavy fermionic excitations. Thus, the Yang-Mills-Chern-Simons theory in 2+1 dimensions is a codified way of ${QCD}$ that include only heavy quarks. The classical solutions of the modified Yang-Mills theory for the SU(2) gauge group are confining ones.Comment: Title changed and comments added. To appear in PL

Mechanisms in impact fragmentation

The brittle fragmentation of spheres is studied numerically by a 3D Discrete Element Model. Large scale computer simulations are performed with models that consist of agglomerates of many spherical particles, interconnected by beam-truss elements. We focus on a detailed description of the fragmentation process and study several fragmentation mechanisms involved. The evolution of meridional cracks is studied in detail. These cracks are found to initiate in the inside of the specimen with quasi-periodic angular distribution and give a broad peak in the fragment mass distribution for large fragments that can be fitted by a two-parameter Weibull distribution. The results prove to be independent of the degree of disorder in the model, but mean fragment sizes scale with velocity. Our results reproduce many experimental observations of fragment shapes, impact energy dependence or mass distribution, and significantly improve the understanding of the fragmentation process for impact fracture since we have full access to the failure conditions and evolutio