We experimentally probe the anisotropy of the fabric of weakly vibrated, flowing granular media. Depending on the driving parameters --- flow rate and vibration strength --- this anisotropy varies significantly. We show how the anisotropy collapses when plotted as function of the driving stresses, uncovering a direct link between stresses and anisotropy. Moreover, our data suggests that for small anisotropies, the shear stresses vanish. Anisotropy of the fabric of granular media thus plays a crucial role in determining the rheology of granular flows.
@article{arxiv.1410.4335,
title = {Anisotropy of Weakly Vibrated Granular Flows},
author = {Geert Wortel and Martin van Hecke},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1410.4335},
year = {2015}
}