Related papers: A first-order phase transition at the random close…
A collection of spherical particles can be packed tightly together into an amorphous packing known as "random close packing" (RCP). This structure is of interest as a model for the arrangement of molecules in simple liquids and glasses, as…
The problem of finding the most efficient way to pack spheres has an illustrious history, dating back to the crystalline arrays conjectured by Kepler and the random geometries explored by Bernal in the 60's. This problem finds applications…
We present an analytical derivation of the volume fractions for random close packing (RCP) in both $d=3$ and $d=2$, based on the same methodology. Using suitably modified nearest neigbhour statistics for hard spheres, we obtain…
Despite its long history, there are many fundamental issues concerning random packings of spheres that remain elusive, including a precise definition of random close packing (RCP). We argue that the current picture of RCP cannot be made…
We numerically study structural properties of mechanically stable packings of hard spheres (HS), in a wide range of packing fractions $0.53 \le \phi \le 0.72$. Detailed structural information is obtained from the analysis of orientational…
Unraveling the complexities of random packing in three dimensions has long puzzled physicists. While both experiments and simulations consistently show a maximum density of 64 percent for tightly packed random spheres, we still lack an…
We link the thermodynamics of colloidal suspensions to the statistics of regular and random packings. Random close packing has defied a rigorous definition yet, in three dimensions, there is near universal agreement on the volume fraction…
The nature of randomness in disordered packings of frictional and frictionless spheres is investigated using theory and simulations of identical spherical grains. The entropy of the packings is defined through the force and volume ensemble…
The most efficient way to pack equally sized spheres isotropically in 3D is known as the random close packed state, which provides a starting point for many approximations in physics and engineering. However, the particle size distribution…
Although the concept of random close packing with an almost universal packing fraction of ~ 0.64 for hard spheres was introduced more than half a century ago, there are still ongoing debates. The main difficulty in searching the densest…
A reproducible RCP state is obtained by a well-defined rate process, which is first-order in free volume, starting from an equilibrium thermodynamic state of the hard-sphere fluid. The RCP state is also reproduced by a thermodynamic pathway…
We show that an analogy between crowding in fluid and jammed phases of hard spheres captures the density dependence of the kissing number for a family of numerically generated jammed states. We extend this analogy to jams of mixtures of…
We investigate equal spheres packings generated from several experiments and from a large number of different numerical simulations. The structural organization of these disordered packings is studied in terms of the network of common…
The equation of state of a hard sphere fluid at high density should exhibit a simple pole at the random close packing limit. Here we show that trying to obtain a compact semi-empirical equation of state simultaneously compatible with that…
We review a recently proposed theory of random packings. We describe the volume fluctuations in jammed matter through a volume function, amenable to analytical and numerical calculations. We combine an extended statistical mechanics…
A granular system confined in a quasi two-dimensional box that is vertically vibrated can transit to an absorbing state in which all particles bounce vertically in phase with the box, with no horizontal motion. In principle, this state can…
We present an experiment on crystallization of packings of macroscopic granular spheres. This system is often considered to be a model for thermally driven atomic or colloidal systems. Cyclically shearing a packing of frictional spheres, we…
The number of compact structures of a single condensed polymer (SCP), with similar free energies, grows exponentially with the degree of polymerization. In analogy with structural glasses (SGs), we expect that at low temperatures chain…
This is the first paper of a series of three, reporting on numerical simulation studies of geometric and mechanical properties of static assemblies of spherical beads under an isotropic pressure. Frictionless systems assemble in the unique…
A simple dynamical model, Biased Random Organization, BRO, appears to produce configurations known as Random Close Packing (RCP) as BRO's densest critical point in dimension $d=3$. We conjecture that BRO likewise produces RCP in any…