title: Universality of slip avalanches in flowing granular matter.
abstract: The search for scale-bridging relations in the deformation of amorphous materials presents a current challenge with tremendous applications in material science, engineering and geology. While generic features in the flow and microscopic dynamics support the idea of a universal scaling theory of deformation, direct microscopic evidence remains poor. Here, we provide the first measurement of internal scaling relations in the deformation of granular matter. By combining macroscopic force fluctuation measurements with internal strain imaging, we demonstrate the existence of robust scaling relations from particle-scale to macroscopic flow. We identify consistent power-law relations truncated by systematic pressure-dependent cutoff, in agreement with recent mean-field theory of slip avalanches in elasto-plastic materials, revealing the existence of a mechanical critical point. These results experimentally establish scale-bridging relations in the flow of matter, paving the way to a new universal theory of deformation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94485, 1090 GL Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: D V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Denisov
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94485, 1090 GL Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Lörincz
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, 1110 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Uhl
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, 1110 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Dahmen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94485, 1090 GL Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schall