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Forced deterministic dynamics on a random energy landscape: Implications for the physics of amorphous solids
Asaf Szulc1, Omri Gat2, Ido Regev3
1Department of Physics, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel.
Physical Review. E
|June 25, 2020
Summary
Amorphous solids under shear exhibit complex dynamics. A new model explains limit cycles and diffusive states by analyzing energy landscape confinement and forcing effects.
Area of Science:
- Condensed matter physics
- Materials science
- Statistical mechanics
Background:
- The behavior of supercooled liquids and amorphous solids under plastic deformation is governed by complex energy landscapes.
- Previous models struggled to explain observed dynamics under oscillatory shear at athermal conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a simple model for forced dynamics on random energy landscapes.
- To explain the emergence of limit cycles and diffusive steady states in amorphous solids under oscillatory shear.
Main Methods:
- Simulations of amorphous solids subjected to oscillatory shear at athermal conditions.
- Development of a multidimensional random energy landscape model.
- Analysis of state-space trajectories and forcing amplitude effects.
Main Results:
- The model successfully reproduces limit cycles for small strain amplitudes, attributed to energy landscape confinement.
- A transition to a diffusive steady state at larger strain amplitudes is explained by forcing overcoming confinement.
- Current mean-field models fail to capture this observed phenomenology.
Conclusions:
- A simple model of forced dynamics on random energy landscapes can accurately describe amorphous solid behavior under shear.
- Energy landscape confinement and the balance between confinement and forcing are key to understanding the observed dynamic regimes.
- This work provides a new framework for studying amorphous plasticity.
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