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Modeling relaxation and jamming in granular media
B Kahng1, I Albert, P Schiffer
1Department of Physics, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA.
Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics
|December 12, 2001
Summary
We developed a model for jamming in granular media. Our findings show periodic force fluctuations and power-law avalanche sizes, independent of physical parameters.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Materials Science
- Complex Systems
Background:
- Granular materials exhibit complex behaviors like jamming.
- Understanding object-grain interactions is crucial for predicting material flow and stability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the jamming and reorganization dynamics of grains when an object moves through a granular medium.
- To develop a stochastic microscopic model that captures these phenomena.
Main Methods:
- Introduction of a stochastic microscopic model.
- Simulation of an object moving through a granular medium.
- Analysis of jamming forces, periods, and avalanche size distributions.
Main Results:
- The model reproduces experimentally observed periodic sawtooth fluctuations in jamming force.
- Predictions for the period and power spectrum in terms of controllable physical parameters.
- Demonstration that avalanche sizes follow a power law, P(s) approximately s(-tau).
Conclusions:
- The exponent of the avalanche size power law is independent of physical parameters.
- The model provides a framework for understanding jamming and reorganization in granular systems.
- This work offers insights into the fundamental physics of granular media under dynamic loading.