In our laboratory, we combine accurate electromagnetic radiation (EMR) measurements during fracture of rocks (carbonate and igneous) and transparent materials (glass, PMMA and glass ceramics) with careful fractographic methods. A critical analysis of experimental observations, accumulated here during the last decade together with supporting material from the works of other authors are used in this study to demonstrate the failure of all current models to explain the properties of EMR arising from fracture. The basic elements of a new model are proposed. These are (a) the EMR amplitude increases as long as the crack continues to grow, since new atomic bonds are severed and their contribution is added to the EMR. As a result, the atoms on both sides of the bonds are moved to 'non-equilibrium' positions relative to their steady state ones and begin to oscillate collectively in a manner similar to Debye model bulk oscillations-'surface vibrational optical waves'; (b) when the crack halts, the waves and the EMR pulse amplitude decay by relaxation. These basic elements are already enough to describe the characteristics of the experimentally obtained isolated individual EMR pulses. These characteristics include the shape of the EMR pulse envelope, and the frequency, time duration and rise-fall time of the pulse.

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The fractal nature of electromagnetic radiation induced by uniaxial and triaxial rock fracture is considered. Both the well-known Gutenberg-Richter-type and the Benioff strain-release relationship, for earthquakes and starquakes, are shown to extend to the microscale (millimeters-centimeters). Results show that both the b value of the Gutenberg-Richter-type law and the slope of the Benioff strain-release relationship of the electromagnetic radiation signals are similar to values known for earthquakes. These results imply that a common mechanism is acting at all scales.

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