Self--organized criticality due to a separation of energy scales

TL;DR

This paper investigates how systems with slow driving and avalanche dissipation naturally tend toward criticality when two energy scales are well separated, supported by simulations and mean-field theory.

Contribution

It introduces a model explaining self-organized criticality based on the separation of two key energy thresholds, supported by computational and theoretical analysis.

Findings

Systems exhibit critical behavior when energy scales are separated.

Simulation results confirm the theoretical predictions.

Mean-field theory captures the essential dynamics of the system.

Abstract

Certain systems with slow driving and avalanche-like dissipation events are naturally close to a critical point when the ratio of two energy scales is large. The first energy scale is the threshold above which an avalanche is triggered, the second scale is the threshold above which a site is affected by an avalanche. I present results of computer simulations, and a mean-field theory.