Intermittent dynamics in transient polymer networks under shear: Signs of self-organized criticality

In this paper we demonstrate an unusual behavior in the shear-banded flow of a viscoelastic fluid. We report large and patterned fluctuations in the shear stress in an apparently fluid material undergoing steady shear, which we interpret as an intermittent and microscopic fracture and self-healing process. The statistical pattern of the fluctuations is indicative of self-organized criticality, and their magnitude can be directly related to the constitutive instability that underlies the shear banding.