2010/08/04 by Markus J. Aschwanden, Aschwanden, Markus J.
Computer Science · Earth and Planetary Sciences · Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Physics and Astronomy · #Complex Systems and Time Series Analysis #Computational Physics and Python Applications #Earthquake Detection and Analysis #FOS: Physical sciences #Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR) #astro-ph.SR
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1008.0873
3 Figs
arxiv created 2010/08/04 · openalex publication_date 2010/08/04 · arxiv updated 2010/08/06 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Nonlinear dissipative systems in the state of self-organized criticality release energy sporadically in avalanches of all sizes, such as in earthquakes, auroral substorms, solar and stellar flares, soft gamma-ray repeaters, and pulsar glitches. The statistical occurrence frequency distributions of event energies E generally exhibit a powerlaw-like function N(E)∝ E-αE with a powerlaw slope of αE ≈ 1.5. The powerlaw slope αE of energies can be related to the fractal dimension D of the spatial energy dissipation domain by D=3/αE, which predicts a powerlaw slope αE=1.5 for area-rupturing or area-spreading processes with D=2. For solar and stellar flares, 2-D area-spreading dissipation domains are naturally provided in current sheets or separatrix surfaces in a magnetic reconnection region. Thus, this universal scaling law provides a useful new diagnostic on the topology of the spatial energy dissipation domain in geophysical and astrophysical observations.