Braided Rivers and Superconducting Vortex Avalanches

TL;DR

This paper models vortex flow in superconductors and finds that the resulting braided vortex patterns resemble natural braided rivers, suggesting similar avalanche dynamics cause braiding in both systems.

Contribution

It introduces a cellular model for vortex flow in superconductors and compares its fractal properties to natural braided rivers, highlighting common avalanche-driven braiding mechanisms.

Findings

Vortex flow forms braided patterns similar to natural rivers

Scaling properties of vortex rivers are self-affine and fractal

Avalanche dynamics are key to braiding in both systems

Abstract

Magnetic vortices intermittently flow through preferred channels when they are forced in or out of a superconductor. We study this behavior using a cellular model, and find that the vortex flow can make braided rivers strikingly similar to aerial photographs of braided fluvial rivers, such as the Brahmaputra. By developing an analysis technique suitable for characterizing a self-affine (multi)fractal, the scaling properties of the braided vortex rivers in the model are compared with those of braided fluvial rivers. We suggest that avalanche dynamics leads to braiding in both cases.