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Updated: Nov 9, 2025
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An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids
Published on: December 4, 2017
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Nonlocal self-organization of a dissipative system
Jaime Clark1,2, Felipe Torres1,3, Laura Morales4,5
1Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7800003, Chile.
Physical Review. E
|April 17, 2021
Summary
This study models self-organization in systems with nonlocal critical fields, similar to electric discharges. Simulations reveal power law statistics for avalanche events, offering insights into complex natural phenomena.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Complex Systems
- Nonlinear Dynamics
Background:
- Self-organization phenomena are observed in various natural systems.
- Sandpile models are used to study intermittent dissipation.
- Nonlocal critical fields play a role in phenomena like electric discharges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate self-organization processes driven by nonlocal critical fields.
- To analyze the long-term statistics of avalanche events in a simplified model.
- To understand the role of nonlocality in critical phenomena.
Main Methods:
- A simplified sandpile-like model was developed.
- Simulations were run to explore parameter space.
- Analysis focused on event statistics, including current, charge, energy, and duration.
Main Results:
- Simulations demonstrated well-defined power law event statistics over one to three decades.
- Large or global events were observed for certain parameter values.
- Some large events may be linked to finite size effects in the simulation box.
Conclusions:
- This research provides a foundational step in understanding long-term statistics of avalanches in systems with nonlocal criticality.
- The findings are relevant to natural systems like lightning discharges and tokamak heat transport.
- Further research is needed to explore the complexities of these phenomena.
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