Effective temperature in elastoplasticity of amorphous solids

Abstract

An effective temperature ${T}_{\text{eff}}$ which differs from the bath temperature is believed to play an essential role in the theory of elastoplasticity of amorphous solids. Here, we introduce a natural definition of ${T}_{\text{eff}}$ appearing naturally in a Boltzmann-like distribution of measurable structural features without recourse to any questionable assumption. The value of ${T}_{\text{eff}}$ is connected, using theory and scaling concepts, to the flow stress and the mean energy that characterize the elastoplastic flow.