S. C. Chapman R. O. Dendy B. Hnat
An avalanche or ‘‘sandpile’’ model is discussed that generalizes the original self-organized criticality avalanche model of Bak, Tang, and Wiesenfeld [Phys. Rev. Lett. 59 , 381 (1987)] to include spatially extended local redistribution. A single control parameter specifies the spatial extent of local redistribution when the critical gradien…
PublishedS. C. Chapman R. O. Dendy G. Rowlands
There is increasing evidence that the Earth’s magnetosphere, like other macroscopic confined plasma systems (magnetic fusion plasmas, astrophysical accretion discs), displays sandpile-type phenomenology so that energy dissipation is by means of avalanches which do not have an intrinsic scale. This may in turn imply that these systems evolve via s…
PublishedP. Helander S. C. Chapman R. O. Dendy G. Rowlands N. W. Watkins
A simple one-dimensional sandpile model is constructed which possesses exact analytical solvability while displaying both scale-free behavior and fractal properties. The sandpile grows by avalanching on all scales, yet its shape and energy content are described by a simple, continuous (but nowhere differentiable) analytical formula. The avalanche e…
Published