Self-Organized Criticality in a Sandpile System: Experimental Measurements and Computational Modeling

This course research project examines self-organized criticality (SOC) through experimental measurements and computational modeling of a sandpile system under constant sand flow. Mass fluctuations and avalanche sizes were recorded for circular platforms of different sizes and sand flow rates. The resulting avalanche distributions were analyzed using probability density and cumulative distribution functions, revealing power-law-like behavior characteristic of SOC systems.In addition to the physical experiment, a cellular automaton–based computational model was implemented to simulate avalanche dynamics and compare theoretical predictions with experimental observations. The results highlight both the robustness and limitations of simplified SOC models.This report was prepared as part of undergraduate physics coursework at Aalto University.