Phase ordering dynamics of the random-field long-range Ising model in one dimension.

We investigate the influence of long-range (LR) interactions on the phase ordering dynamics of the one-dimensional random-field Ising model (RFIM). Unlike the usual RFIM, a spin interacts with all other spins through a ferromagnetic coupling that decays as r^{-(1+σ)}, where r is the distance between two spins. In the absence of LR interactions, the size of coarsening domains R(t) exhibits a crossover from pure system behavior R(t)∼t^{1/2} to an asymptotic regime characterized by logarithmic growth: R(t)∼(lnt)^{2}.

Estimating generation time of SARS-CoV-2 variants in Italy from the daily incidence rate.

The identification of the transmission parameters of a virus is fundamental to identify the optimal public health strategy. These parameters can present significant changes over time caused by genetic mutations or viral recombination, making their continuous monitoring fundamental. Here we present a method, suitable for this task, which uses as unique information the daily number of reported cases.

Estimating the generation interval from the incidence rate, the optimal quarantine duration and the efficiency of fast switching periodic protocols for COVID-19.

The transmissibility of an infectious disease is usually quantified in terms of the reproduction number [Formula: see text] representing, at a given time, the average number of secondary cases caused by an infected individual. Recent studies have enlightened the central role played by w(z), the distribution of generation times z, namely the time between successive infections in a transmission chain. In standard approaches this quantity is usually substituted by the distribution of serial intervals, which is obtained by contact tracing after measuring the time between onset of symptoms in successive cases.

Kinetics of the two-dimensional long-range Ising model at low temperatures.

We study the low-temperature domain growth kinetics of the two-dimensional Ising model with long-range coupling J(r)∼r^{-(d+σ)}, where d=2 is the dimensionality. According to the Bray-Rutenberg predictions, the exponent σ controls the algebraic growth in time of the characteristic domain size L(t), L(t)∼t^{1/z}, with growth exponent z=1+σ for σ<1 and z=2 for σ>1. These results hold for quenches to a nonzero temperature T>0 below the critical temperature T_{c}.

Quasideterministic dynamics, memory effects, and lack of self-averaging in the relaxation of quenched ferromagnets.

We discuss the interplay between the degree of dynamical stochasticity, memory persistence, and violation of the self-averaging property in the aging kinetics of quenched ferromagnets. We show that, in general, the longest possible memory effects, which correspond to the slowest possible temporal decay of the correlation function, are accompanied by the largest possible violation of self-averaging and a quasideterministic descent into the ergodic components. This phenomenon is observed in different systems, such as the Ising model with long-range interactions, including the mean-field, and the short-range random-field Ising model.

The influence of the brittle-ductile transition zone on aftershock and foreshock occurrence.

Aftershock occurrence is characterized by scaling behaviors with quite universal exponents. At the same time, deviations from universality have been proposed as a tool to discriminate aftershocks from foreshocks. Here we show that the change in rheological behavior of the crust, from velocity weakening to velocity strengthening, represents a viable mechanism to explain statistical features of both aftershocks and foreshocks.

Forecasting of the first hour aftershocks by means of the perceived magnitude.

The majority of strong earthquakes takes place a few hours after a mainshock, promoting the interest for a real time post-seismic forecasting, which is, however, very inefficient because of the incompleteness of available catalogs. Here we present a novel method that uses, as only information, the ground velocity recorded during the first 30 min after the mainshock and does not require that signals are transferred and elaborated by operational units. The method considers the logarithm of the mainshock ground velocity, its peak value defined as the perceived magnitude and the subsequent temporal decay.

Effects of frustration on fluctuation-dissipation relations.

We study numerically the aging properties of the two-dimensional Ising model with quenched disorder considered in our recent paper [Phys. Rev. E 95, 062136 (2017)2470-004510.

The Relevance of Foreshocks in Earthquake Triggering: A Statistical Study.

An increase of seismic activity is often observed before large earthquakes. Events responsible for this increase are usually named foreshock and their occurrence probably represents the most reliable precursory pattern. Many foreshocks statistical features can be interpreted in terms of the standard mainshock-to-aftershock triggering process and are recovered in the Epidemic Type Aftershock Sequence ETAS model.

Induced and endogenous acoustic oscillations in granular faults.

The frictional properties of disordered systems are affected by external perturbations. These perturbations usually weaken the system by reducing the macroscopic friction coefficient. This friction reduction is of particular interest in the case of disordered systems composed of granular particles confined between two plates, as this is a simple model of seismic fault.

Controlled Viscosity in Dense Granular Materials.

We experimentally investigate the fluidization of a granular material subject to mechanical vibrations by monitoring the angular velocity of a vane suspended in the medium and driven by an external motor. On increasing the frequency, we observe a reentrant transition, as a jammed system first enters a fluidized state, where the vane rotates with high constant velocity, and then returns to a frictional state, where the vane velocity is much lower. While the fluidization frequency is material independent, the viscosity recovery frequency shows a clear dependence on the material that we rationalize by relating this frequency to the balance between dissipative and inertial forces in the system.

Synchronized oscillations and acoustic fluidization in confined granular materials.

According to the acoustic fluidization hypothesis, elastic waves at a characteristic frequency form inside seismic faults even in the absence of an external perturbation. These waves are able to generate a normal stress which contrasts the confining pressure and promotes failure. Here, we study the mechanisms responsible for this wave activation via numerical simulations of a granular fault model.

Rattler-induced aging dynamics in jammed granular systems.

Granular materials jam when developing a network of contact forces able to resist the applied stresses. Through numerical simulations of the dynamics of the jamming process, we show that the jamming transition does not occur when the kinetic energy vanishes. Rather, as the system jams, the kinetic energy becomes dominated by rattler particles, which scatter within their cages.

Equilibrium structure and off-equilibrium kinetics of a magnet with tunable frustration.

We study numerically a two-dimensional random-bond Ising model where frustration can be tuned by varying the fraction a of antiferromagnetic coupling constants. At low temperatures the model exhibits a phase with ferromagnetic order for sufficiently small values of a, a View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Scaling laws in earthquake occurrence: Disorder, viscosity, and finite size effects in Olami-Feder-Christensen models.

The relation between seismic moment and fractured area is crucial to earthquake hazard analysis. Experimental catalogs show multiple scaling behaviors, with some controversy concerning the exponent value in the large earthquake regime. Here, we show that the original Olami, Feder, and Christensen model does not capture experimental findings.

Mechanical origin of aftershocks.

Aftershocks are the most striking evidence of earthquake interactions and the physical mechanisms at the origin of their occurrence are still intensively debated. Novel insights stem from recent results on the influence of the faulting style on the aftershock organisation in magnitude and time. Our study shows that the size of the aftershock zone depends on the fault geometry.

Dynamic Weakening by Acoustic Fluidization during Stick-Slip Motion.

The unexpected weakness of some faults has been attributed to the emergence of acoustic waves that promote failure by reducing the confining pressure through a mechanism known as acoustic fluidization, also proposed to explain earthquake remote triggering. Here we validate this mechanism via the numerical investigation of a granular fault model system. We find that the stick-slip dynamics is affected only by perturbations applied at a characteristic frequency corresponding to oscillations normal to the fault, leading to gradual dynamical weakening as failure is approaching.

Phase ordering in disordered and inhomogeneous systems.

We study numerically the coarsening dynamics of the Ising model on a regular lattice with random bonds and on deterministic fractal substrates. We propose a unifying interpretation of the phase-ordering processes based on two classes of dynamical behaviors characterized by different growth laws of the ordered domain size, namely logarithmic or power law, respectively. It is conjectured that the interplay between these dynamical classes is regulated by the same topological feature that governs the presence or the absence of a finite-temperature phase transition.

Non-monotonic dependence of the friction coefficient on heterogeneous stiffness.

The complexity of the frictional dynamics at the microscopic scale makes difficult to identify all of its controlling parameters. Indeed, experiments on sheared elastic bodies have shown that the static friction coefficient depends on loading conditions, the real area of contact along the interfaces and the confining pressure. Here we show, by means of numerical simulations of a 2D Burridge-Knopoff model with a simple local friction law, that the macroscopic friction coefficient depends non-monotonically on the bulk elasticity of the system.

Nonequilibrium fluctuation-dissipation theorem and heat production.

We use a relationship between response and correlation function in nonequilibrium systems to establish a connection between the heat production and the deviations from the equilibrium fluctuation-dissipation theorem. This scheme extends the Harada-Sasa formulation [Phys. Rev.

Scaling in the aging dynamics of the site-diluted Ising model.

We study numerically the phase-ordering kinetics of the two-dimensional site-diluted Ising model. The data can be interpreted in a framework motivated by renormalization-group concepts. Apart from the usual fixed point of the nondiluted system, there exist two disorder fixed points, characterized by logarithmic and power-law growth of the ordered domains.

Scaling behavior of the earthquake intertime distribution: influence of large shocks and time scales in the Omori law.

We present a study of the earthquake intertime distribution D(Δt) for a California catalog in temporal periods of short duration T. We compare experimental results with theoretical predictions and analytical approximate solutions. For the majority of intervals, rescaling intertimes by the average rate leads to collapse of the distributions D(Δt) on a universal curve, whose functional form is well fitted by a Gamma distribution.

Aging and crossovers in phase-separating fluid mixtures.

We use state-of-the-art molecular dynamics simulations to study hydrodynamic effects on aging during kinetics of phase separation in a fluid mixture. The domain growth law shows a crossover from a diffusive regime to a viscous hydrodynamic regime. There is a corresponding crossover in the autocorrelation function from a power-law behavior to an exponential decay.

Spatial organization of foreshocks as a tool to forecast large earthquakes.

An increase in the number of smaller magnitude events, retrospectively named foreshocks, is often observed before large earthquakes. We show that the linear density probability of earthquakes occurring before and after small or intermediate mainshocks displays a symmetrical behavior, indicating that the size of the area fractured during the mainshock is encoded in the foreshock spatial organization. This observation can be used to discriminate spatial clustering due to foreshocks from the one induced by aftershocks and is implemented in an alarm-based model to forecast m > 6 earthquakes.

Solid-on-solid single-block dynamics under mechanical vibration.

The suppression of friction between sliding objects, modulated or enhanced by mechanical vibrations, is well established. However, the precise conditions of occurrence of these phenomena are not well understood. Here we address these questions focusing on a simple spring-block model, which is relevant to investigate friction both at the atomistic as well as the macroscopic scale.