Slip avalanches in a fiber bundle model

TL;DR

This paper investigates slip avalanches in a fiber bundle model, revealing power law distributions and a disorder-induced phase transition between small and macroscopic slips through analytical and simulation methods.

Contribution

It introduces a fiber bundle model capturing slip avalanches with universal power law behavior and identifies a phase transition driven by disorder levels.

Findings

Power law distributions for slip avalanche size, slip length, and load increments.

Existence of a disorder-induced phase transition from small to macroscopic slips.

Universal exponents characterizing the slip avalanche phenomena.

Abstract

We study slip avalanches in disordered materials under an increasing external load in the framework of a fiber bundle model. Over-stressed fibers of the model do not break, instead they relax in a stick-slip event which may trigger an entire slip avalanche. Slip avalanches are characterized by the number slipping fibers, by the slip length, and by the load increment, which triggers the avalanche. Our calculations revealed that all three quantities are characterized by power law distributions with universal exponents. We show by analytical calculations and computer simulations that varying the amount of disorder of slip thresholds and the number of allowed slips of fibers, the system exhibits a disorder induced phase transition from a phase where only small avalanches are formed to another one where a macroscopic slip appears.