Eur. Phys. J. B (2017) 90: 248
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2017-80295-0

Regular Article

Statistical properties of Olami-Feder-Christensen model on Barabasi-Albert scale-free network

Earthquake Research Institute, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan

^a e-mail: tnk-88@eri.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Received: 26 May 2017
Received in final form: 28 September 2017
Published online: 13 December 2017

Abstract

The Olami-Feder-Christensen model on the Barabasi-Albert type scale-free network is investigated in the context of statistical seismology. This simple model may be regarded as the interacting faults obeying power-law size distribution under two assumptions: (i) each node represents a distinct fault; (ii) the degree of a node is proportional to the fault size and the energy accumulated around it. Depending on the strength of an interaction, the toppling events exhibit temporal clustering as is ubiquitously observed for natural earthquakes. Defining a geometrical parameter that characterizes the heterogeneity of the energy stored in the nodes, we show that aftershocks are characterized as a process of regaining the heterogeneity that is lost by the main shock. The heterogeneity is not significantly altered during the loading process and foreshocks.