Critical features in electromagnetic anomalies detected prior to the L’Aquila earthquake

Earthquakes (EQs) are large-scale fracture phenomena in the Earth’s heterogeneous crust. Fracture-induced physical fields allow a real-time monitoring of damage evolution in materials during mechanical loading. Electromagnetic (EM) emissions in a wide frequency spectrum ranging from kHz to MHz are produced by opening cracks, this can be considered as the so-called precursors of general fracture. We emphasize that the MHz radiation appears earlier than the kHz on both laboratory and geophysical scales. An important challenge in this field of research is to distinguish characteristic epochs in the evolution of precursory EM activity and identify them with the equivalent last stages in the EQ preparation process. Recently, we proposed the following two-stage model. (i) The first epoch, which includes the initial emergent MHz EM emission, is thought to be due to the fracture of a highly heterogeneous system that surrounds a family of large high-strength asperities distributed along the activated fault sustaining the system. (ii) The second epoch, which includes the emergent strong impulsive kHz EM radiation, is due to the fracture of the asperities themselves. A catastrophic EQ of magnitude Mw=6.3 occurred on 6 April, 2009 (06/04/09) in central Italy. The majority of the damage occurred in the city of L’Aquila. Clear kHz–MHz EM anomalies had been detected prior to the L’Aquila EQ. Here, we investigate the seismogenic origin of the MHz part of the anomalies. The analysis, which is in terms of intermittent dynamics of critical fluctuations, reveals that the candidate EM precursor (i) can be described as analogous to a thermal continuous phase transition and (ii) has anti-persistent behavior. These features suggest that this candidate precursor was triggered by microfractures in the highly disordered system that surrounded the backbone of asperities of the activated fault. A criterion for underlying strong critical behavior is introduced. In this field of research, reproducibility of results is desirable; and is best done by analyzing a number of precursory MHz EM emissions. We refer to previous studies of precursory MHz EM activities associated with nine significant EQs that have occurred in Greece in recent years. We conclude that all the MHz EM precursors studied, including the present one, can be described as analogous to a continuous second-order phase transition having strong criticality and anti-persistent behavior.     

Asymptotical properties of distributions of isotropic Lévy processes

In this paper, we establish the precise asymptotic behaviors of the tail probability and the transition density of a large class of isotropic Lévy processes when the scaling order is between 0 and 2 including 2. We also obtain the precise asymptotic behaviors of the tail probability of subordinators when the scaling order is between 0 and 1 including 1.The asymptotic expressions are given in terms of the radial part of characteristic exponent $\psi$ and its derivative. In particular, when $\psi \left(\lambda \right)?\frac{\lambda }{2}{\psi }^{\prime }\left(\lambda \right)$ varies regularly, as $\frac{t\psi {\left(r^{?1}\right)}^2}{\psi \left(r^{?1}\right)?{\left(2r\right)}^{?1}{\psi }^{\prime }\left(r^{?1}\right)}\to 0$ the tail probability $–(\left|X_t\right|\ge r)$ is asymptotically equal to a constant times $t(\psi \left(r^{?1}\right)?{\left(2r\right)}^{?1}{\psi }^{\prime }\left(r^{?1}\right)).$     

Fujita type critical exponent for a free boundary problem with spatial–temporal source

In this paper, we investigate a nonlinear free boundary problem incorporating with nontrivial spatial and exponential temporal weighted source. To portray the asymptotic behavior of the solution, we first derive some sufficient conditions for finite time blowup. Furthermore, the global vanishing solution is also obtained for a class of small initial data. Finally, a sharp threshold trichotomy result is provided in terms of the size of the initial data to distinguish the blowup solution, the global vanishing solution, and the global transition solution. In particular, our results show that such a problem always possesses a Fujita type critical exponent whenever the spatial source is just equivalent to a trivial constant, or is an extreme one, such as “very negative” one in the sense of measure or integral.     

Positive solutions of nonlinear problems involving the square root of the Laplacian

We consider nonlinear elliptic problems involving a nonlocal operator: the square root of the Laplacian in a bounded domain with zero Dirichlet boundary conditions. For positive solutions to problems with power nonlinearities, we establish existence and regularity results, as well as a priori estimates of Gidas-Spruck type. In addition, among other results, we prove a symmetry theorem of Gidas-Ni-Nirenberg type.     

Sign changing solutions to a nonlinear elliptic problem involving the critical Sobolev exponent in pierced domains

We consider the problem in Ω_ε, u=0 on ∂Ω_ε, where Ω_ε:=ΩB(0,ε) and Ω is a bounded smooth domain in , which contains the origin and is symmetric with respect to the origin, N3 and ε is a positive parameter. As ε goes to zero, we construct sign changing solutions with multiple blow up at the origin.     

Elastic–plastic transition in three-dimensional random materials: massively parallel simulations,fractal morphogenesis and scaling functions

Elastic–plastic transitions were investigated in three-dimensional (3D) macroscopically homogeneous materials, with microscale randomness in constitutive properties, subjected to monotonically increasing, macroscopically uniform loadings. The materials are cubic-shaped domains (of up to 100?×?100?×?100 grains), each grain being cubic-shaped, homogeneous, isotropic and exhibiting elastic–plastic hardening with a J ₂ flow rule. The spatial assignment of the grains’ elastic moduli and/or plastic properties is a strict-white-noise random field. Using massively parallel simulations, we find the set of plastic grains to grow in a partially space-filling fractal pattern with the fractal dimension reaching 3, whereby the sharp kink in the stress–strain curve of individual grains is replaced by a smooth transition in the macroscopically effective stress–strain curve. The randomness in material yield limits is found to have a stronger effect than that in elastic moduli. The elastic–plastic transitions in 3D simulations are observed to progress faster than those in 2D models. By analogy to the scaling analysis of phase transitions in condensed matter physics, we recognize the fully plastic state as a critical point and, upon defining three order parameters (the ‘reduced von-Mises stress’, ‘reduced plastic volume fraction’ and ‘reduced fractal dimension’), three scaling functions are introduced to unify the responses of different materials. The critical exponents are universal regardless of the randomness in various constitutive properties and their random noise levels.     

用拉格朗日相关结构研究圆盘启动过程的流体输运

利用粒子成像测速(PIV)技术,得到了圆盘启动涡环流场的速度分布和涡量分布.圆盘启动涡环流场的有限时间李雅普诺夫指数场(Finit-time Lyapunov exponents,FTLE)以及拉格朗日相关结构(Lagrangian coherent structures,LCS)被计算出来.基于圆盘启动涡环流场的有限时间李雅普诺夫指数场以及拉格朗日相关结构,通过跟踪流体质点,对圆盘启动涡环流场的输运情况进行了分析.在圆盘启动涡环形成过程中,流体发现被圆盘和相互排斥的拉格朗日相关结构分成三部分.剪切流窗口(vorticity-flux window)被发现,涡量流通过剪切流窗口进入涡核.涡环的非定常边界被确定,它由相互排斥的拉格朗日相关结构背风面、圆盘以及剪切流窗口组成.     

The maximal Lyapunov exponent of a co-dimension two-bifurcation system excited by a bounded noise

In the present paper,the maximal Lyapunov exponent is investigated for a co-dimension two bifurcation system that is on a three-dimensional central manifold and subjected to parametric excitation by a bounded noise.By using a perturbation method,the expressions of the invariant measure of a one-dimensional phase diffusion process are obtained for three cases,in which different forms of the matrix B,that is included in the noise excitation term,are assumed and then,as a result,all the three kinds of singular boundaries for one-dimensional phase diffusion process are analyzed.Via Monte-Carlo simulation,we find that the analytical expressions of the invariant measures meet well the numerical ones.And furthermore,the P-bifurcation behaviors are investigated for the one-dimensional phase diffusion process.Finally,for the three cases of singular boundaries for one-dimensional phase diffusion process,analytical expressions of the maximal Lyapunov exponent are presented for the stochastic bifurcation system.     

点涡动力系统的Lyapunov指数

平面上理想流体的三点涡系统是可积的Hamilton系统, 但其运动仍然相当复杂, 这给研究被动微粒在三点涡系统中运动带来了很大的困难. 着眼于点涡系统的被动微粒对初始小扰动的稳定性, 通过Oseledec定理定义被动微粒的Lyapunov指数, 给出了点涡系统中被动微粒稳定性的定量刻画. 同时, 由Hamilton系统的保体积性质得到的关于Lyapunov指数的简洁表达式, 避免了计算的繁琐. 利用这个定义, 点涡系的瞬时流场可以被划分成若干区域, 被动微粒的混沌运动只能在近涡的特定区域出现.