The onset of yielding in a granular system

ORAL

Abstract

We investigate the mechanical stability of a granular system subjected to shear stress. We use flow pulses of water in a fluidized bed to prepare a granular sample with a specific volume fraction (0.57 $<\phi<$ 0.63) and then shear the grains using a small, embedded plate, observing the force required to unjam the system. An understanding of how the system responds to shear is crucial to constructing a phase diagram for granular materials.

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Authors

  • Trey Suntrup

    The University of Texas at Austin

  • Matthias Schr\&#034;oter

    Max Planck Institute Goettingen, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization

  • Charles Radin

    The University of Texas at Austin

  • Harry L. Swinney

    The University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas at Austin