Related papers: Sandpile formation by revolving rivers
We study the patterns formed by adding $N$ sand-grains at a single site on an initial periodic background in the Abelian sandpile models, and relaxing the configuration. When the heights at all sites in the initial background are low…
We show that the patterns in the Abelian sandpile are stable. The proof combines the structure theory for the patterns with the regularity machinery for non-divergence form elliptic equations. The stability results allows one to improve…
Kinetic equations, which explicitly take into account the branching nature of sandpile avalanches, are derived. The dynamics of the sandpile model is described by the generating functions of a branching process. Having used the results…
The Abelian sandpile model was the first example of a self-organized critical system studied by Bak, Tang and Wiesenfeld. The dynamics of the sandpiles occur when the grains topple over a graph. In this study, we allow the graph to evolve…
With a toppling rule which generates metastable sites, we explore the properties of a gradient-driven sandpile that is minimally perturbed at one boundary. In two dimensions we find that the transport of grains takes place along deep…
From geometry and conservation we derive two nonlinear evolution equations for sand ripples. In the case of a strong wind leading to a net erosion of the sand bed, ripples obey the Benney equation. This leads either to order or disorder…
Landscapes that are rhythmically dissected by natural drainage channels exist in various geologic and climatic settings. Such landscapes are characterized by a length-scale for the lateral spacing between channels. We observe a small-scale…
The dissolution of rocks by rainfall commonly generates streamwise parallel channels, yet the occurrence of these natural patterns remains to be understood. Here, we report the emergence in the laboratory of a streamwise dissolution pattern…
When sand flows out of a funnel onto a surface, a three dimensional pile that is stabilized by friction grows taller as it spreads. Here we investigate an idealized two dimensional analogue: spreading of a pile of monodisperse oil droplets…
We revisit the problem of the stress distribution in a frictional sandpile under gravity, equipped with a new numerical model of granular assemblies with both normal and tangential (frictional) inter-granular forces. Numerical simulations…
Periodic sediment patterns have been observed on Earth in riverbeds and sand and snow deserts, but also in other planetary environments. One of the most ubiquitous patterns, familiar wind or 'impact' ripples, adorns sand beaches and arid…
We formulate a continuum model for aeolian sand ripples consisting of two species of grains: a lower layer of relatively immobile clusters, with an upper layer of highly mobile grains moving on top. We predict analytically the ripple…
Dense granular flows are often unstable and form inhomogeneous structures. Although significant advances have been recently made in understanding simple flows, instabilities of such flows are often not understood. We present experimental…
In the stochastic sandpile model on a graph, particles interact pairwise as follows: if two particles occupy the same vertex, they must each take an independent random walk step with some probability $0<p<1$ of not moving. These…
Sand pile models are dynamical systems describing the evolution from $N$ stacked grains to a stable configuration. It uses local rules to depict grain moves and iterate it until reaching a fixed configuration from which no rule can be…
When particles settle through a stable temperature or salinity gradient they can drive an instability known as sedimentary fingering convection. This phenomenon is thought to occur beneath sediment-rich river plumes in lakes and oceans, in…
We model formation and evolution of transverse dune fields. In the model, only the cross section of the dune is simulated. The only physical variable of relevance is the dune height, from which the dune width and velocity are determined, as…
Anyone who has built a sandcastle recognizes that the addition of liquid to granular materials increases their stability. However, measurements of this increased stability often conflict with theory and with each other [1-7]. A…
We analyze in detail a one-dimensional stochastically driven running sandpile. The dynamics shows three different phases, depending on the on-site relaxation rate and stochastic driving rate. Two phases are characterized by the presence of…
When a sandpile relaxes under vibration, it is known that its measured angle of repose is bistable in a range of values bounded by a material-dependent maximal angle of stability; thus, at the same angle of repose, a sandpile can be…