A minimal model for slow dynamics: Compaction of granular media under vibration or shear
Abstract
Based on experiments of the compaction of granular materials under periodic shear of a packing of glass beads, a minimal model for the dynamics of the packing density as a function of time is proposed. First, a random ``energy landscape'' is created by a random walk (RW) in energy. Second, an ensemble of RWs is performed for various temperatures in different temperature-time sequences. We identify the minimum (mean) of the energy landscape with the maximum (random) density. The temperature scaled by the step-size of the energy landscape determines the dynamics of the system and can be regarded as the agitation or shear amplitude. The model reproduces qualitatively both tapping and shear experiments. {\bf Key-words}: Compaction, crystallization, Sinai-diffusion, random walks, quenched disorder
Cite
@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0003172,
title = {A minimal model for slow dynamics: Compaction of granular media under vibration or shear},
author = {Stefan Luding and Maxime Nicolas and Olivier Pouliquen},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0003172},
year = {2007}
}
Comments
8 pages, 4 figures - presented at: Compaction, Innsbruck, Austria Feb. 2000