Slow slip is a mechanism for slow fronts in the rupture of frictional interfaces
Résumé
The failure of the population of micro-junctions forming the frictional interface between two solids is central to fields ranging from biomechanics to seismology. This failure is mediated by the propagation along the interface of various types of rupture fronts, covering a wide range of velocities. Among them are so-called slow fronts, which are recently discovered fronts much slower than the materials' sound speeds. Despite intense modelling activity, the mechanisms underlying slow fronts remain elusive. Here, we introduce a multi-scale model capable of reproducing both slow fronts and the short time slip dynamics observed in recent experiments. We identify slow slip as a phenomenon sufficient for allowing slow fronts to exist and responsible for selecting their velocity. Whether slow fronts are actually observed is not only controlled by the stresses but also by a microscopic state related to the local distribution of forces among micro-junctions. Our results show that slow fronts are qualitatively different from faster fronts. Since slow fronts are potentially as generic as slow slip, we anticipate that they might occur in the wide range of systems in which slow slip has been reported, including seismic faults.
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