Entangled granular media.

We study the geometrically induced cohesion of ensembles of granular "u particles" that mechanically entangle through particle interpenetration. We vary the length-to-width ratio l/w of the u particles and form them into freestanding vertical columns. In a laboratory experiment, we monitor the response of the columns to sinusoidal vibration (with peak acceleration Γ). Column collapse occurs in a characteristic time τ which follows the relation τ∝exp(Γ/Δ). Δ resembles an activation energy and is maximal at intermediate l/w. A simulation reveals that optimal strength results from competition between packing and entanglement.

• Publication year

  2012

• Venue

  Physical Review Letters

• Publication date

  2012-04-30

• Fields of study

  Medicine, Physics

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.108.208001arXiv 1204.6654PMID 23003190
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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