Instruct: Identify the main and secondary category of Arxiv papers based on the titles and abstracts
Query: Nonlinear plastic modes in disordered solids   We propose a framework within which a robust mechanical definition of
precursors to plastic instabilities, often termed `soft-spots', naturally
emerges. They are shown to be collective displacements (modes) $\hat{z}_0$ that
correspond to local minima of the `barrier function' $b(\hat{z})$. The latter
is derived from the cubic approximation of the variation $\delta
U_{\hat{z}}(s)$ of the potential energy upon displacing particles a distance
$s$ along $\hat{z}$. We show that modes $\hat{z}_0$ corresponding to low-lying
minima of $b(\hat{z})$ lead to transitions over energy barriers in the glass,
and are therefore associated with highly asymmetric variations $\delta
U_{\hat{z}}(s)$ with $s$. We further demonstrate how a heuristic search for
local minima of $b(\hat{z})$ can a-priori detect the locus and geometry of
imminent plastic instabilities with remarkable accuracy, at strains as large as
$\gamma_c-\gamma \sim 10^{-2}$ away from the instability strain $\gamma_c$,
where the non-affine displacements under shear are still largely delocalized.
Our findings suggest that the a-priori detection of plastic instabilities can
be effectively carried out by the investigation of the landscape of
$b(\hat{z})$.

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The categories of this paper are: supr-con
33
The categories of this paper are: plasm-ph
5
The categories of this paper are: gr-qc
14
The categories of this paper are: math-ph
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The categories of this paper are: funct-an
19
The categories of this paper are: eess
32
The categories of this paper are: atom-ph
18
The categories of this paper are: econ
6
The categories of this paper are: astro-ph
28
The categories of this paper are: alg-geom
16
The categories of this paper are: stat
7
The categories of this paper are: hep-th
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The categories of this paper are: hep-ex
3
The categories of this paper are: physics
23
The categories of this paper are: solv-int
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The categories of this paper are: dg-ga