Anisotropic Power Law Strain Correlations in Sheared Amorphous 2D Solids

The local deformation of steadily sheared two-dimensional Lennard-Jones glasses is studied via computer simulations at zero temperature. In the quasistatic limit, spatial correlations in the incremental strain field are highly anisotropic. The data show power law behavior with a strong angular dependence of the scaling exponent, and the strongest correlations along the directions of maximal shear stress. These results support the notion that the jamming transition at the onset of flow is critical, but suggest unusual critical behavior. The predicted behavior is testable through experiments on sheared amorphous materials such as bubble rafts, foams, emulsions, granular packings, and other systems where particle displacements can be tracked.