Dynamics of Shear-Transformation Zones in Amorphous Plasticity: Formulation in Terms of an Effective Disorder Temperature

This investigation extends earlier studies of a shear-transformation-zone (STZ) theory of plastic deformation in amorphous solids. My main purpose here is to explore the possibility that the configurational degrees of freedom of such systems fall out of thermodynamic equilibrium with the heat bath during persistent mechanical deformation, and that the resulting state of configurational disorder may be characterized by an effective temperature. The further assumption that the population of STZ's equilibrates with the effective temperature allows the theory to be compared directly with experimentally measured properties of metallic glasses, including their calorimetric behavior. The coupling between the effective temperature and mechanical deformation suggests an explanation of shear-banding instabilities.Comment: 29 pages, 11 figure

Glassy dynamics in granular compaction

Two models are presented to study the influence of slow dynamics on granular compaction. It is found in both cases that high values of packing fraction are achieved only by the slow relaxation of cooperative structures. Ongoing work to study the full implications of these results is discussed.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figures; accepted in J. Phys: Condensed Matter, proceedings of the Trieste workshop on 'Unifying concepts in glass physics

On random graphs and the statistical mechanics of granular matter

The dynamics of spins on a random graph with ferromagnetic three-spin interactions is used to model the compaction of granular matter under a series of taps. Taps are modelled as the random flipping of a small fraction of the spins followed by a quench at zero temperature. We find that the density approached during a logarithmically slow compaction - the random-close-packing density - corresponds to a dynamical phase transition. We discuss the the role of cascades of successive spin-flips in this model and link them with density-noise power fluctuations observed in recent experiments.Comment: minor changes, to appear in EP

Athermal Shear-Transformation-Zone Theory of Amorphous Plastic Deformation I: Basic Principles

We develop an athermal version of the shear-transformation-zone (STZ) theory of amorphous plasticity in materials where thermal activation of irreversible molecular rearrangements is negligible or nonexistent. In many respects, this theory has broader applicability and yet is simpler than its thermal predecessors. For example, it needs no special effort to assure consistency with the laws of thermodynamics, and the interpretation of yielding as an exchange of dynamic stability between jammed and flowing states is clearer than before. The athermal theory presented here incorporates an explicit distribution of STZ transition thresholds. Although this theory contains no conventional thermal fluctuations, the concept of an effective temperature is essential for understanding how the STZ density is related to the state of disorder of the system.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures; first of a two-part serie

Competition and cooperation:aspects of dynamics in sandpiles

In this article, we review some of our approaches to granular dynamics, now well known to consist of both fast and slow relaxational processes. In the first case, grains typically compete with each other, while in the second, they cooperate. A typical result of {\it cooperation} is the formation of stable bridges, signatures of spatiotemporal inhomogeneities; we review their geometrical characteristics and compare theoretical results with those of independent simulations. {\it Cooperative} excitations due to local density fluctuations are also responsible for relaxation at the angle of repose; the {\it competition} between these fluctuations and external driving forces, can, on the other hand, result in a (rare) collapse of the sandpile to the horizontal. Both these features are present in a theory reviewed here. An arena where the effects of cooperation versus competition are felt most keenly is granular compaction; we review here a random graph model, where three-spin interactions are used to model compaction under tapping. The compaction curve shows distinct regions where 'fast' and 'slow' dynamics apply, separated by what we have called the {\it single-particle relaxation threshold}. In the final section of this paper, we explore the effect of shape -- jagged vs. regular -- on the compaction of packings near their jamming limit. One of our major results is an entropic landscape that, while microscopically rough, manifests {\it Edwards' flatness} at a macroscopic level. Another major result is that of surface intermittency under low-intensity shaking.Comment: 36 pages, 23 figures, minor correction

Smoothing of sandpile surfaces after intermittent and continuous avalanches: three models in search of an experiment

We present and analyse in this paper three models of coupled continuum equations all united by a common theme: the intuitive notion that sandpile surfaces are left smoother by the propagation of avalanches across them. Two of these concern smoothing at the `bare' interface, appropriate to intermittent avalanche flow, while one of them models smoothing at the effective surface defined by a cloud of flowing grains across the `bare' interface, which is appropriate to the regime where avalanches flow continuously across the sandpile.Comment: 17 pages and 26 figures. Submitted to Physical Review

Shaking a Box of Sand

We present a simple model of a vibrated box of sand, and discuss its dynamics in terms of two parameters reflecting static and dynamic disorder respectively. The fluidised, intermediate and frozen (`glassy') dynamical regimes are extensively probed by analysing the response of the packing fraction to steady, as well as cyclic, shaking, and indicators of the onset of a `glass transition' are analysed. In the `glassy' regime, our model is exactly solvable, and allows for the qualitative description of ageing phenomena in terms of two characteristic lengths; predictions are also made about the influence of grain shape anisotropy on ageing behaviour.Comment: Revised version. To appear in Europhysics Letter

Statistical properties of determinantal point processes in high-dimensional Euclidean spaces

The goal of this paper is to quantitatively describe some statistical properties of higher-dimensional determinantal point processes with a primary focus on the nearest-neighbor distribution functions. Toward this end, we express these functions as determinants of $N\times N$ matrices and then extrapolate to $N\to\infty$. This formulation allows for a quick and accurate numerical evaluation of these quantities for point processes in Euclidean spaces of dimension $d$. We also implement an algorithm due to Hough \emph{et. al.} \cite{hough2006dpa} for generating configurations of determinantal point processes in arbitrary Euclidean spaces, and we utilize this algorithm in conjunction with the aforementioned numerical results to characterize the statistical properties of what we call the Fermi-sphere point process for $d = 1$ to 4. This homogeneous, isotropic determinantal point process, discussed also in a companion paper \cite{ToScZa08}, is the high-dimensional generalization of the distribution of eigenvalues on the unit circle of a random matrix from the circular unitary ensemble (CUE). In addition to the nearest-neighbor probability distribution, we are able to calculate Voronoi cells and nearest-neighbor extrema statistics for the Fermi-sphere point process and discuss these as the dimension $d$ is varied. The results in this paper accompany and complement analytical properties of higher-dimensional determinantal point processes developed in \cite{ToScZa08}.Comment: 42 pages, 17 figure

Entanglement Generation of Nearly-Random Operators

We study the entanglement generation of operators whose statistical properties approach those of random matrices but are restricted in some way. These include interpolating ensemble matrices, where the interval of the independent random parameters are restricted, pseudo-random operators, where there are far fewer random parameters than required for random matrices, and quantum chaotic evolution. Restricting randomness in different ways allows us to probe connections between entanglement and randomness. We comment on which properties affect entanglement generation and discuss ways of efficiently producing random states on a quantum computer.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, partially supersedes quant-ph/040505

A two-species continuum model for aeolian sand ripples

We formulate a continuum model for aeolian sand ripples consisting of two species of grains: a lower layer of relatively immobile clusters, with an upper layer of highly mobile grains moving on top. We predict analytically the ripple wavelength, initial ripple growth rate and threshold saltation flux for ripple formation. Numerical simulations show the evolution of realistic ripple profiles from initial surface roughness via ripple growth and merger.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figure