Spontaneous Patterning of Confined Granular Rods

Jennifer Galanis, Daniel Harries, Dan L. Sackett, Wolfgang Losert, and Ralph Nossal
Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 028002 – Published 19 January 2006

Abstract

Vertically vibrated rod-shaped granular materials confined to quasi-2D containers self-organize into distinct patterns. We find, consistent with theory and simulation, a density dependent isotropic-nematic transition. Along the walls, rods interact sterically to form a wetting layer. For high rod densities, complex patterns emerge as a result of competition between bulk and boundary alignment. A continuum elastic energy accounting for nematic distortion and local wall anchoring reproduces the structures seen experimentally.

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  • Received 12 August 2005

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.028002

©2006 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Jennifer Galanis1, Daniel Harries1, Dan L. Sackett1, Wolfgang Losert2, and Ralph Nossal1

  • 1NICHD, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0924, USA
  • 2Department of Physics, IPST, and IREAP, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA

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Issue

Vol. 96, Iss. 2 — 20 January 2006

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