Travelling waves in a spring-block chain sliding down a slope

José Eduardo Morales Morales (1) , Guillaume James (1, 2) , Arnaud Tonnelier (1)

1 BIPOP - Modelling, Simulation, Control and Optimization of Non-Smooth Dynamical Systems
2 CASYS - Calculs Algébriques et Systèmes Dynamiques

Travelling waves in a spring-block chain sliding down an inclined plane are studied. For a piecewise-linear spinodal friction force, we construct analytically front waves. Pulse waves are obtained as the matching of two travelling fronts with identical speeds. Explicit formulas are obtained for the wavespeed and the wave form in the anti-continuum limit. The link with propagating phenomena in the Burridge-Knopoff model is briefly discussed.

Mots clés: excitability; piecewise-linear differential equations; Travelling front; block-spring system

Domaines: Mécanique [physics]

José Eduardo Morales Morales, Guillaume James, Arnaud Tonnelier. Travelling waves in a spring-block chain sliding down a slope. [Research Report] RR-8995, INRIA Grenoble - Rhône-Alpes. 2016. ⟨hal-01411516⟩