Emergent Elasticity in Non-Thermal Solids

Explore the concept of emergent elasticity in non-thermal solids through this 35-minute conference talk by Bulbul Chakraborty at the Erwin Schrödinger International Institute for Mathematics and Physics. Delve into the fascinating world of jammed solids, including sand piles, shear-jammed grains, dense suspensions, and passive and active gels. Examine how these systems form rigid structures in response to stress, challenging the notion of a unique zero-stress reference solid network. Investigate the fragility of these solids and the mechanisms behind their rigidity. Learn about a new paradigm for understanding the elastic response of jammed solids, focusing on local constraints and conservation laws rather than broken symmetry. Discover the distinctive features of this type of rigidity, including the presence of "force-chains" in static response and unique characteristics in dynamic response. Connect these concepts to existing frameworks of yielding and failure in solids. Gain insights from this talk, which was part of the Thematic Programme on "Non-equilibrium Processes in Physics and Biology" at ESI in 2024.