Earthquake dynamics and scale-free networks

• Grant number: 05/01926-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): September 01, 2005
• Effective date (End): December 31, 2006
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - General Physics
• Principal Investigator: Carmen Pimentel Cintra Do Prado
• Grantee: André Martin Timpanaro
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física (IF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

To determine if earthquakes are, or are not stochastic is a problem that has called attention of many physicist recently. A model that has been studied in this context (and that has been the object of my research in recent years) is the Olami-Feder-Christensen (OFC) model for earthquakes, introduced in the context of self-organized criticality (SOC). Recent results show that there is a possible connection between earthquake dynamics and free scale networks. In this project we intend to study the behavior of the network built with the epicenters of the OFC model (random neighbor version), to enlighten the differences that may occur between conservative and non conservative regimes, that are known to display (not display) SOC, respectively. (AU)