Mechanical fluctuations suppress the threshold of soft-glassy solids :   the secular drift scenario
  We propose a dynamical mechanism leading to the fluidization of soft-glassy amorphous mate-rial driven below the yield-stress by external mechanical fluctuations. The model is based on the combination of memory effect and non-linearity, leading to an accumulation of tiny effects over a long-term. We test this scenario on a granular packing driven mechanically below the Coulomb threshold. We bring evidences for an effective viscous response directly related to small stress modulations in agreement with the theoretical prediction of a generic secular drift. 
Adeline Pons (PMMH), Axelle Amon (IPR), Thierry Darnige (PMMH),   J\'er\^ome Crassous (IPR), Eric Cl\'ement (PMMH)
cond-mat.soft