Related papers: Force network ensemble: a new approach to static g…

We present a systematic investigation of the distribution of normal forces at the boundaries of static packings of spheres. A new method for the efficient construction of large hexagonal-close-packed crystals is introduced and used to study…

Granular matter exists out of thermal equilibrium, i.e. it is athermal. While conventional equilibrium statistical mechanics is not useful for characterizing granular materials, the idea of constructing a statistical ensemble analogous to…

We have recently developed some simple continuum models of static granular media which display "fragile" behaviour: they predict that the medium is unable to support certain types of infinitesimal load (which we call "incompatible" loads)…

Thermal fluctuations are not large enough to lead to state changes in granular materials. However, such materials do achieve reproducible bulk properties, suggesting that they are controlled by an underlying statistical mechanics analogous…

The arrangements of particles and forces in granular materials have a complex organization on multiple spatial scales that ranges from local structures to mesoscale and system-wide ones. This multiscale organization can affect how a…

We attempt to describe the stress distributions of granular packings using lattice-based layer-by-layer stochastic models that satisfy the constraints of force and torque balance and non-tensile forces at each site. The inherent asymmetry…

We report on systematic measurements of the distribution of normal forces exerted by granular material under uniaxial compression onto the interior surfaces of a confining vessel. Our experiments on three-dimensional, random packings of…

We study the effect of mergers in the force chain model describing the stress profile in static granular materials. Combining numerical and analytical calculations we show that granular materials do not generally behave in an elastic-like…

A theory of stress fields in two-dimensional granular materials based on directed force chain networks is presented. A general equation for the densities of force chains in different directions is proposed and a complete solution is…

Force chains form heterogeneous physical structures that can constrain the mechanical stability and acoustic transmission of granular media. However, despite their relevance for predicting bulk properties of materials, there is no agreement…

Experiments on the low-speed impact of solid objects into granular media have been used both to mimic geophysical events and to probe the unusual nature of the granular state of matter. Observations have been interpreted in terms of…

We examine the network of forces to be expected in a static assembly of hard, frictionless spherical beads of random sizes, such as a colloidal glass. Such an assembly is minimally connected: the ratio of constraint equations to contact…

Amorphous systems of soft particles above jamming have more contacts than are needed to achieve mechanical equilibrium. The force network of a granular system with a fixed contact network is thus underdetermined, and can be characterized as…

Granular materials transmit stress via a network of force chains. Despite the importance of these chains to characterizing the stress state and dynamics of the system, there is no common framework for quantifying their their properties.…

In this work, we investigate the unjamming transition in a three-dimensional granular system composed of frictional spheres, in which the packing fraction is systematically reduced by random particle extractions. Using Discrete Element…

By employing the adaptive network simulation method, we demonstrate that the ensemble-averaged stress caused by a local force for packings of frictionless rigid beads is concentrated along rays whose slope is consistent with unity: forces…

We introduce novel sets of measures with the goal of describing dynamical properties of force networks in dense particulate systems. The presented approach is based on persistent homology and allows for extracting precise, quantitative…

We propose an alternative approach to count the microscopic static configurations of granular packs under gravity by considering arches. This strategy simplifies the problem of filtering out configurations that are not mechanically stable,…

This paper proposes a phase space to compare the static packings of a granular system compatible to a macrostate that is set by the external stress. The nature of this phase space is analyzed, showing that the consideration of the allowed…

The force networks of different granular ensembles are defined and their topological properties studied using the tools of complex networks. In particular, for each set of grains compressed in a square box, it is introduced a force…