title: Reversibility and criticality in amorphous solids.
abstract: The physical processes governing the onset of yield, where a material changes its shape permanently under external deformation, are not yet understood for amorphous solids that are intrinsically disordered. Here, using molecular dynamics simulations and mean-field theory, we show that at a critical strain amplitude the sizes of clusters of atoms undergoing cooperative rearrangements of displacements (avalanches) diverges. We compare this non-equilibrium critical behaviour to the prevailing concept of a 'front depinning' transition that has been used to describe steady-state avalanche behaviour in different materials. We explain why a depinning-like process can result in a transition from periodic to chaotic behaviour and why chaotic motion is not possible in pinned systems. These findings suggest that, at least for highly jammed amorphous systems, the irreversibility transition may be a side effect of depinning that occurs in systems where the disorder is not quenched.
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.|Center for Nonlinear Studies and Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.|Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.
authors.forename: Ido
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Regev
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Institute of Condensed Matter Theory, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, 1110 West Green Street, Urbana, 61801 Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.affiliation: Center for Nonlinear Studies and Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.|Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reichhardt
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Institute of Condensed Matter Theory, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, 1110 West Green Street, Urbana, 61801 Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: Karin A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Dahmen
authors.affiliation: Center for Nonlinear Studies and Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.|Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.
authors.forename: Turab
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lookman