Driving rate effects in avalanche-mediated, first-order phase transitions

TL;DR

This study investigates how driving rate and temperature influence avalanche distributions in first-order phase transitions, combining experimental acoustic emission data with numerical simulations to understand the interplay of relaxation, driving, and thermal effects.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive framework linking avalanche behavior to competing time scales, supported by experimental and simulation results.

Findings

Avalanche exponents depend on driving rate and temperature.

Experimental data from Cu-Zn-Al and Cu-Al-Ni show consistent trends.

Numerical simulations validate the proposed theoretical framework.

Abstract

We have studied the driving rate and temperature dependence of the power-law exponents that characterize the avalanche distribution in first-order phase transitions. Measurements of acoustic emission in structural transitions in Cu-Zn-Al and Cu-Al-Ni are presented. We show how the observed behaviour emerges within a general framework of competing time scales of avalanche relaxation, driving rate, and thermal fluctuations. We have confirmed our findings by numerical simulations of a prototype model.