Watkins, Nicholas W., Pruessner, Gunnar, Chapman, Sandra C., Crosby, Norma B. and Jensen, Henrik Jeldtoft (2016) 25 Years of self-organized criticality : concepts and controversies. Space Science Reviews, 198 (1-4). pp. 3-44. doi:10.1007/s11214-015-0155-x

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Abstract

Introduced by the late Per Bak and his colleagues, self-organized criticality (SOC) has been one of the most stimulating concepts to come out of statistical mechanics and condensed matter theory in the last few decades, and has played a significant role in the development of complexity science. SOC, and more generally fractals and power laws, have attracted much comment, ranging from the very positive to the polemical. The other papers (Aschwanden et al. in Space Sci. Rev., 2014, this issue; McAteer et al. in Space Sci. Rev., 2015, this issue; Sharma et al. in Space Sci. Rev. 2015, in preparation) in this special issue showcase the considerable body of observations in solar, magnetospheric and fusion plasma inspired by the SOC idea, and expose the fertile role the new paradigm has played in approaches to modeling and understanding multiscale plasma instabilities. This very broad impact, and the necessary process of adapting a scientific hypothesis to the conditions of a given physical system, has meant that SOC as studied in these fields has sometimes differed significantly from the definition originally given by its creators. In Bak’s own field of theoretical physics there are significant observational and theoretical open questions, even 25 years on (Pruessner 2012). One aim of the present review is to address the dichotomy between the great reception SOC has received in some areas, and its shortcomings, as they became manifest in the controversies it triggered. Our article tries to clear up what we think are misunderstandings of SOC in fields more remote from its origins in statistical mechanics, condensed matter and dynamical systems by revisiting Bak, Tang and Wiesenfeld’s original papers.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	Q Science > QC Physics
Divisions:	Faculty of Science > Physics
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Critical phenomena (Physics), Physics, Complexity (Philosophy), Condensed matter, Statistical physics
Journal or Publication Title:	Space Science Reviews
Publisher:	Springer
ISSN:	0038-6308
Official Date:	January 2016
Dates:	Date Event January 2016 Published 28 May 2015 Available 4 May 2015 Accepted 24 January 2015 Submitted
Volume:	198
Number:	1-4
Page Range:	pp. 3-44
DOI:	10.1007/s11214-015-0155-x
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Open Access

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