Quiet-time statistics: A tool to probe the dynamics of self-organized-criticality systems from within the strong overlapping regime

A method is presented that allows one to obtain information about the underlying dynamics of a self-organized-criticality system even when the strong-overlapping or hydrodynamic regime (in which individual avalanches are no longer distinguishable) is the only one amenable of probing. The method is based on the analysis of the statistics of the lapses of time between activity bursts or quiet times. The case of a randomly driven running sandpile is used to illustrate the use and capabilities of this technique.