Related papers: Force chain structure in a rod-withdrawn granular …
The lift and drag forces acting on a small, neutrally-buoyant spherical particle in a single-wall-bounded linear shear flow are examined via numerical computation. The effects of shear rate are isolated from those of slip by setting the…
Forced detachment of a single polymer chain, strongly-adsorbed on a solid substrate, is investigated by two complementary methods: a coarse-grained analytical dynamical model, based on the Onsager stochastic equation, and Molecular Dynamics…
The discharge of elongated particles from a silo with rotating bottom is investigated numerically. The introduction of a slight transverse shear reduces the flow rate $Q$ by up to 70% compared to stationary bottom, but the flow rate shows a…
We investigate the mechanical properties of inclined frictional granular layers prepared with different protocols by means of DEM numerical simulations. We perform an orthotropic elastic analysis of the stress response to a localized…
The measurement of cellular traction forces on soft elastic substrates has become a standard tool for many labs working on mechanobiology. Here we review the basic principles and different variants of this approach. In general, the…
The mechanical response of a wet granular layer to imposed shear is studied experimentally at low applied normal stress. The granular material is immersed in water and the shear is applied by sliding a plate resting on the upper surface of…
We consider the elastic energy of a hanging drape -- a thin elastic sheet, pulled down by the force of gravity, with fine-scale folding at the top that achieves approximately uniform confinement. This example of energy-driven pattern…
In quasi-two-dimensional experiments with photoelastic particles confined to an annular region, an intruder constrained to move in a circular path halfway between the annular walls experiences stick-slip dynamics. We discuss the response of…
A new continuous model of shearable rod, subject to large elastic deformation, is derived from nonlinear homogenization of a one-dimensional periodic microstructured chain. As particular cases, the governing equations reduce to the Euler…
We perform combined X-ray tomography and shear force measurements on a cyclically sheared granular system with highly transient behaviors, and obtain the evolution of microscopic structures and the macroscopic shear force during the shear…
A two-dimensional system of photoelastic disks subject to vertical tapping against gravity was experimentally monitored from ordered to disordered configurations by varying bidispersity. The packing fraction $\phi$, coordination number $Z$,…
By means of contact dynamic simulations, we investigate the contact network topology and force chains in two-dimensional packings of elongated particles modeled by rounded-cap rectangles. The morphology of large packings of elongated…
We have used kinetic Monte Carlo simulations to study the kinetics of unfolding of cross-linked polymer chains under mechanical loading. As the ends of a chain are pulled apart, the force transmitted by each crosslink increases until it…
We study theoretically and by means of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations the generation of mechanical force by grafted polyelectrolytes in an external electric field, which favors its adsorption on the grafting plane. The force arises in…
Simulation results are presented on the collapse of granular columns composed of rod-like particles. Columns can be stable and free-standing if either the friction coefficient is large enough, or the rods long enough. Destabilizing…
Using molecular dynamic simulation, we study the stretching of an adsorbed homopolymer in a poor solvent with one end held at a distance $z_e$ from the substrate. We measure the vertical force $f$ on the end of the chain as a function of…
When a falling ball chain strikes a surface, a tension is created that pulls the chain downward. This causes a downward acceleration that is larger than free-fall, which has been observed by recent experiments. Here a theoretical…
A remarkable feature of static granular matter is the distribution of force along intricate networks. Even regular inter-particle contact networks produce wildly inhomogeneous force networks where certain "chains" of particles carry forces…
The exceptional adhesion properties of biological fibrillar structures -- such as those found in geckos -- have inspired the development of synthetic adhesive surfaces. Among these, mushroom-shaped fibrils have demonstrated superior…
We investigate the folding and forced-unbinding transitions of adsorbed semiflexible polymer chains using theory and simulations. These processes describe biologically relevant phenomena that include adhesive interactions between proteins…