Phenomenology and theory of horizontally oscillated granular mixtures

• Published in: The European physical journal. E, Soft matter (Print) Vol. 22; no. 3; pp. 227 - 234
• Main Authors: CIAMARRA, M. Pica, CONIGLIO, A, NICODEMI, M
• Format: Conference Proceeding Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Springer 01-03-2007
• Subjects: Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Granular solids; Material form; Physics; Rheology; Phenomenological model; Vibration effect; Granular materials; Segregation; Phase separation; Dynamic stability; Granular flow; Theoretical study; Binary mixtures; Horizontal motion
• ISSN: 1292-8941; 1292-895X
• DOI: 10.1140/epje/e2007-00007-0

We overview the physics of a granular mixture subject to horizontal oscillations, recently investigated via experiments and molecular dynamics simulations. First we discuss the rich phenomenology exhibited by this system, which encompasses both segregation and dynamical instabilities. Then we show that the phenomenology can be explained via an effective interaction approach, by which the driven, non-thermal, granular mixture in mapped into a monodispersed thermal system of particles interacting via an effective potential. After determining the effective interaction we discuss its microscopic origin and investigate how it induces the observed phenomenology. Finally, as much as in thermal fluids, from the effective interaction we derive a Cahn-Hilliard dynamics equation, which appears to capture the essential characteristics of the dynamics of the granular mixture.