  We study the coarsening dynamics of a two dimensional system via lattice
Boltzmann numerical simulations. The system under consideration is a biphasic
system consisting of domains of a dispersed phase closely packed together in a
continuous phase and separated by thin interfaces. Such system is elastic and
typically out of equilibrium. The equilibrium state is attained via the
coarsening dynamics, wherein the dispersed phase slowly diffuses through the
interfaces, causing domains to change in size and eventually rearrange
abruptly. The effect of rearrangements is propagated throughout the system via
the intrinsic elastic interactions and may cause rearrangements elsewhere,
resulting in intermittent bursts of activity and avalanche behaviour. Here we
aim at quantitatively characterizing the corresponding avalanche statistics
(i.e. size, duration, inter-avalanche time). Despite the coarsening dynamics is
triggered by an internal driving mechanism, we find quantitative indications
that such avalanche statistics displays scaling-laws very similar to those
observed in the response of disordered materials to external loads.

Soft Condensed Matter;Fluid Dynamics