Christopher A. Serino, Ph.D.

Boston University
Office location Postal address
Metcalf Science Center
Room 344 		Department of Physics
590 Commonwealth Ave
Boston, MA
02215

Papers, Conference Contributions, and Selected Talks

"Statistical Properties of Systems with Damage and Defects" (thesis, 2011) ( abstract , full text )

"Thesis defense" (2011) (.pdf)

"What can we Learn from Observed Variations in the Gutenberg-Richter Law b-value?", Boston University Dept. of Physics CMT seminar (2011) (.pdf)

"A Simple Model Fault System", APS March Meeting (2011) (.pdf)

R. Dominguez, K. F. Tiampo, C. A. Serino, and W. Klein "Scaling of Earthquake Models with Inhomogeneous Stress Dissipation" arXiv:1101.3584 [physics.geo-ph] In preparation. (2011)

R. Dominguez, K. F. Tiampo, C. A. Serino, and W. Klein "Characterizing large events and scaling in earthquake models with inhomogeneous damage" Accepted as an AGU monograph (2011)

C. A. Serino, K. F. Tiampo, and W. Klein "New Approach to Gutenberg-Richter Scaling" Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 108501 (2011) [ arXiv]

"Approaching Gutenberg-Richter through Damage and Defects", Preliminary Oral Exam (2010) (.pdf)

"New Scaling in an Old Earthqauke Model", Greater Boston Area Statistical Mechanics Meeting (2009) (.pdf)

C. A. Serino and S. Redner "Pearson Walk with Shrinking Steps in Two Dimensions" J. Stat. Mech. P01006, (2010) [arXiv]

C. A. Serino, W. Klein, and J. B. Rundle "Cellular Automaton Model of Damage" Phys. Rev. E 81, 016105 (2010) [arXiv, movies]

"A Cellular Automaton Model of Catastrophic Failure", APS March Meeting (2009) (.pdf)

"Statistical Mechanics of Damage", Greater Boston Area Statistical Mechanics Meeting (2008) (.pdf)

Graduate Education

I work with Bill Klein in the field of statistical physics. My research has been concerned with the statistical physics of materials whose bulk properties are affected by accumulated damage and / or quenched defects. We research began by simulating and theoretically analyzing simple models in order to investigate questions such as: How does localized damage lead to global catastrophic failure or fracture? How does the range of interaction affect the rate and geometry of the failure mechanism? Can equilibrium methods be used to describe the system as being in a metastable state just prior to a catastrophic event? Do defects change the phase diagram and / or the limit of metastability, and if so, how? What is the mechanism responsible for the burst size distribution observed in materials under increasing stress or ion bombardment?

We have also considered seismic faulting and the physics behind earthqaukes. We have considered the Gutenberg-Richter law, which relates the frequency of earthquakes to their magnitudes, and whether or not the associated b value is truely constant. We also conisder the idea of accelerated moment release preceding large earthquakes.

I also investigated the properties of a tiring random walker in collaboration with Sid Redner. The walk occurs on a continuous two-dimensional plane where the step length is exponentially decreased with the discrete time step. This walk is also considered in dimensions greater than two. In particular, the distribution of end points for the walk is analyzed.

I have contributed to projects lead by various researchers concerning the properties of quenched dilute spin systems, the dynamics of solid to solid nucleation, the latency of queueing networks that violate at least one of the assumptions of Jackson's theorem, and models of multicellular cooperation and competition within the framework of flux balance analysis.

While I have been a member of the group, the research group has consisted of Kip Barros (now a post doc at CNLS), Rachel Dominguez (now an assistant professor of physics at Randolph-Macon College), Ranjit Chacko (a former graduate student at Clark University under Harvey Gould), Kang Liu, and myself.

I came to BU in the fall of 2006, passed my written comprehensive (qualifying) exam in the winter of 2006/2007, and passed my preliminary oral exam in the fall of 2010. I submitted my dissertation prospectus in April 2011, gave my departmental seminar in July 2011, and defended my thesis in Decmeber 2011.

Undergraduate Education

I received my BS in Physics, Magna Cum Laude, with Departmental Honors in Physics from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. I spent my senior year as the David and Kathleen Scott Scholar at Trinity College of Oxford University. As an undergraduate my research involved computational theoretical chemistry, computational physics, and experimental B physics.

University of Massachusetts Amherst (2002 - 2005)
Office location Postal address
Lederle Graduate Research Tower
Room 1036 		Department of Physics
1126 Lederle Graduate Research Tower
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA
01003

Trinity College of Oxford University (2005 - 2006)

Miscellany

This section is under construction.

For now, here is a link to my bridge page.

Here are some useful links.

Christopher A. Serino

Last modified: 5 January 2012