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Anomalous elasticity and emergent dipole screening in three-dimensional amorphous solids
Harish Charan1, Michael Moshe2, Itamar Procaccia1,3
1Department of Chemical Physics, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
Physical Review. E
|June 17, 2023
Summary
This study extends a theory of plastic events in amorphous solids to three dimensions, revealing anomalous mechanics due to distributed dipoles. These findings offer new insights into the behavior of disordered materials.
Area of Science:
- Condensed matter physics
- Materials science
- Statistical mechanics
Background:
- Amorphous solids exhibit complex mechanical behaviors influenced by plastic events.
- Previous work established a screening theory for 2D amorphous solids, identifying anomalous mechanics via distributed dipoles analogous to crystalline dislocations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To extend the screening theory to three-dimensional (3D) amorphous solids.
- To predict and interpret anomalous mechanical responses in 3D disordered systems.
Main Methods:
- Application of a previously developed screening theory.
- Theoretical extension of the model to three dimensions.
- Analysis of amorphous solids including granular media and glasses.
Main Results:
- The theory predicts anomalous mechanics in 3D amorphous solids, consistent with 2D observations.
- Nontopological distributed dipoles are identified as the cause of the observed mechanical response.
- The formation of these dipoles is reminiscent of Kosterlitz-Thouless and hexatic transitions.
Conclusions:
- The screening theory successfully describes anomalous mechanics in 3D amorphous solids.
- The identified nontopological distributed dipoles are a novel phenomenon without crystalline analogs.
- Dipole screening in 3D is a surprising finding given its association with 2D phase transitions.
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