When does a granular material behave like a continuum fluid?

A flowing granular material can behave like a collection of individual interacting grains or like a continuum fluid, depending in large part on the energy imparted to the grains. As yet, however, we have no general understanding of how or under what conditions the fluid limit is reached. Marston, Li...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of fluid mechanics 2012-08, Vol.704, p.1-4
Main Author: de Bruyn, John R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Continuums
Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science
rheology
Ejecta
Exact sciences and technology
Fluid dynamics
Fluid flow
Fluid mechanics
Fluids
Focus on Fluids
Grains
Granular materials
Granular solids
High speed
Material form
Morphology
Physics
Rheology
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Summary:A flowing granular material can behave like a collection of individual interacting grains or like a continuum fluid, depending in large part on the energy imparted to the grains. As yet, however, we have no general understanding of how or under what conditions the fluid limit is reached. Marston, Li & Thoroddsen (J. Fluid Mech., this issue, vol. 704, 2012, pp. 5–36) use high-speed imaging to investigate the ejection of grains from a granular bed due to the impact of a spherical projectile. Their high temporal resolution allows them to study the very fast processes that take place immediately following the impact. They demonstrate that for very fine grains and high impact energies, the dynamics of the ejecta is both qualitatively and quantitatively similar to what is seen in analogous experiments with fluid targets.
ISSN:0022-1120
1469-7645
DOI:10.1017/jfm.2012.226