9510394 Carlson This research addresses complex systems far from equilibrium. New theoretical techniques are developed and exploited to study projects that have an array of applications, including fracture, earthquakes, friction, granular flow, and biological systems. The first topic focuses on transport properties of both models and real systems that the PI and others have studied in the context of self-organized criticality. The second topic involves continuing work in the area of modeling earthquake dynamics, as well as the development of new microscopic models for friction and granular flow. The third topic addresses the development and testing of prediction algorithms for spatially extended systems. %%% Many systems that we seek to understand in the world around us are far from equilibrium. Examples include fracture (breaking of materials), earthquakes, friction, granular flow, and biological systems. This project will continue the work of the Principal Investigator in addressing such phenomena theoretically. One topic involves studying a particular approach called self-organized criticality that applies to motion in many of these situations, at least some of the time. A second topic continues work in the area of earthquake dynamics as well as developing new models for friction and granular flow. The results of the study will be directly compared with recent experimental data. The third major topic involves developing and testing new algorithms that predict the future based on past for such systems. ***
