Author： Bobnar Jaka Susman Katarina Parsegian V Adrian Rand Peter R Čepič Mojca Podgornik Rudolf
Publisher： IOP Publishing
ISSN： 0143-0807
Source： European Journal of Physics, Vol.32, Iss.4, 2011-07, pp. : 1007-1018
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Abstract
An anchored elastic filament (Euler strut) under an external point load applied to its free end is a simple model for a second-order phase transition. In the static case, a load greater than the critical load causes a Euler buckling instability, leading to a change in the filament's shape. The analysis of filament dynamics with an external point load at its end shows that when approaching the critical end-load, the period of such an inverted pendulum diverges in a fashion analogous to a 'soft mode' critical slowing down in, for example, a ferroelectric phase transition of displacive type. We thus show that an advanced concept of solid state physics, i.e. 'soft mode' dynamics and critical slowing down, observable in a variety of second-order phase transitions, can be actualized in this simple mechanical system. The variable loads attached to a vertical spring allow for an experimental implementation and quantitative measurements as an illustration of this analogy.
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