Mixing and segregation of granular materials in chute flows

Mixing of granular solids is invariably accompanied by segregation, however, the fundamentals of the process are not well understood. We analyze density and size segregation in a chute flow of cohesionless spherical particles by means of computations and theory based on the transport equations for a mixture of nearly elastic particles. Computations for elastic particles (Monte Carlo simulations), nearly elastic particles, and inelastic, frictional particles (particle dynamics simulations) are carried out. General expressions for the segregation fluxes due to pressure gradients and temperature gradients are derived. Simplified equations are obtained for the limiting cases of low volume fractions (ideal gas limit) and equal sized particles. Theoretical predictions of equilibrium number density profiles are in good agreement with computations for mixtures of equal sized particles with different density for all solids volume fractions, and for mixtures of different sized particles at low volume fractions (nu<0.2), when the particles are elastic or nearly elastic. In the case of inelastic, frictional particles the theory gives reasonable predictions if an appropriate effective granular temperature is assumed. The relative importance of pressure diffusion and temperature diffusion for the cases considered is discussed. (c) 1999 American Institute of Physics.     

Dynamics between order and chaos revisited

We show that dynamics between order and chaos, namely strange nonchaotic dynamics can be efficiently studied by means of recurrence properties. Different transitions to this dynamics in coupled R?ssler oscillators are revealed by some measures of complexity based on the recurrence time, which is the time needed for a system to recur to a former visited neighborhood. Furthermore, regions of the parameter space where the system is in non-phase, imperfect-phase or phase synchronization are depicted by means of recurrence based indices such as the generalized autocorrelation function and the correlation of probability of recurrence.     

Transitions between chaos and order in rf-driven Josephson junction

We investigate transitions between the chaotic and regular states through a perturbed chaotic solution of a rf-driven Josephson system. It is shown that the transition from order to chaos may occur when the system initially near the heteroclinic points. The chaotic solution tends to an unstable periodic one for the initial values sufficiently nearing the heteroclinic orbit but going beyond the heteroclinic points. Thus the Josephson chaos can be analytically and numerically controlled, by adjusting the initial conditions.     

Stationary shear flows of dense granular materials: a tentative continuum modelling

We propose a simple continuum model to interpret the shearing motion of dense, dry and cohesion-less granular media. Compressibility, dilatancy and Coulomb-like friction are the three basic ingredients. The granular stress is split into a rate-dependent part representing the rebound-less impacts between grains and a rate-independent part associated with long-lived contacts. Because we consider stationary flows only, the grain compaction and the grain velocity are the two main variables. The predicted velocity and compaction profiles are in apparent qualitative agreement with most of the experimental or numerical results concerning free-surface shear flows as well as confined shear flows.Received: 24 March 2004, Published online: 29 June 2004PACS: 45.70.Ht Avalanches - 45.70.-n Granular systems - 83.80.Fg Granular solids     

Competition between order and phase separation in Au-Ni

We have measured and theoretically analyzed the diffuse scattering in the binary alloy system Au-Ni, which has been proposed as a testing ground for theories of alloy phase stability. We found strong evidence that in the alloys Au3Ni and Au3Ni2, fluctuations of both ordering- and clustering-type are competing with each other. Our results resolve a long-standing controversy on the balance of relaxation and mixing energies in this alloy system and explain recent findings of ordering in thin Au-Ni films.     

Control methods for problems of mixing and coherence in chaotic maps and flows

We review a variety of control methods which are capable of enhancing the chaoticity and mixing properties of chaotic flows and also methods which work towards promoting the coherence properties of such flows. We discuss a parameter control method which can enhance the chaoticity and the rate of mixing of dissipative as well as conservative flows and outline methods which promote global mixing by the addition of noise and by preventing island formation. As the inverse side of this problem, we summarize methods which can create coherent structures in chaotic dynamical flows. We also discuss the utility of these methods from the point of view of applications as well as for understanding phenomena which occur in natural systems.     

Competition between glassiness and order in a multispin glass

A mean-field multispin interaction spin glass model is analyzed in the presence of a ferromagnetic coupling. The static and dynamical phase diagrams contain four phases (paramagnet, spin glass, ordinary ferromagnet, and glassy ferromagnet) and exhibit reentrant behavior. The glassy ferromagnet phase has anomalous dynamical properties. The results are consistent with a nonequilibrium thermodynamics that has been proposed for glasses.     

Inhomogenous Kauffman models at the borderline between order and chaos

We study a generalized Kauffman model where the interactions are no longer chosen according to a uniform probability distribution. It is shown that already slight deviations from the uniform distribution can drive the system into the chaotic phase, whereas the orginal model remains strictly in the ordered phase.     

Persistence of order and structure in chaos

In this paper some results are presented concerning one-dimensional chaotic maps with arbitrarily many critical points. Let f be a chaotic map belonging to some suitable class of C¹ maps from a nontrivial interval X into itself.

Assuming that f is of class C¹⁺ for some > 0, we have that the set of aperiodic points for f has Lebesgue measure zero; further, if f(X) is bounded then there exists a positive integer p such that almost every point in the interval is asymptotically periodic with period p. Moreover, it will turn out that this asymptotically periodic behaviour in the complicated dynamics of f is persistent under small smooth perturbations.

The topological structure of the nonwandering set of f will be described, and this structure is invariant under small C¹ perturbations of the map f.

Assuming that f is of class C², the map f is C² structurally stable provided that f satisfies some suitable conditions.

Finally, it will turn out that maps with a negative Schwarzian derivative belong to the suitable class of maps mentioned above.     

Diffusion and mixing in gravity-driven dense granular flows

We study the transport properties of particles draining from a silo using imaging and direct particle tracking. The particle displacements show a universal transition from superdiffusion to normal diffusion, as a function of the distance fallen, independent of the flow speed. In the superdiffusive (but sub-ballistic) regime, which occurs before a particle falls through its diameter, the displacements have fat-tailed and anisotropic distributions. In the diffusive regime, we observe very slow cage breaking and Péclet numbers of order 100, contrary to the only previous microscopic model (based on diffusing voids). Overall, our experiments show that diffusion and mixing are dominated by geometry, consistent with long-lasting contacts but not thermal collisions, as in normal fluids.     

Rheology and contact lifetimes in dense granular flows

We study the rheology and distribution of interparticle contact lifetimes for gravity-driven, dense granular flows of noncohesive particles down an inclined plane using large-scale, three dimensional, granular dynamics simulations. Rather than observing a large number of long-lived contacts as might be expected for dense flows, brief binary collisions predominate. In the hard-particle limit, the rheology conforms to Bagnold scaling, where the shear stress is quadratic in the strain rate. As the particles are made softer, however, we find significant deviations from Bagnold rheology; the material flows more like a viscous fluid. We attribute this change in the collective rheology of the material to subtle changes in the contact lifetime distribution involving the increasing lifetime and number of the long-lived contacts in the softer particle systems.     

Synchronization and control of chaos in coupled chaotic multimode Nd:YAG lasers

In this Letter we numerically investigate the dynamics of a system of two coupled chaotic multimode Nd:YAG lasers with two mode and three mode outputs. Unidirectional and bidirectional coupling schemes are adopted; intensity time series plots, phase space plots and synchronization plots are used for studying the dynamics. Quality of synchronization is measured using correlation index plots. It is found that for laser with two mode output bidirectional direct coupling scheme is found to be effective in achieving complete synchronization, control of chaos and amplification in output intensity. For laser with three mode output, bidirectional difference coupling scheme gives much better chaotic synchronization as compared to unidirectional difference coupling but at the cost of higher coupling strength. We also conclude that the coupling scheme and system properties play an important role in determining the type of synchronization exhibited by the system.     

Density inversion in rapid granular flows: the supported regime

This paper presents numerical findings on rapid 2D and 3D granular flows on a bumpy base. In the supported regime studied here, a strongly sheared, dilute and agitated layer spontaneously appears at the base of the flow and supports a compact packing of grains moving as a whole. In this regime, the flow behaves like a sliding block on the bumpy base. In particular, for flows on a horizontal base, the average velocity decreases linearly in time and the average kinetic energy decreases linearly with the travelled distance, those features being characteristic of solid-like friction. This allows us to define and measure an effective friction coefficient, which is independent of the mass and velocity of the flow. This coefficient only loosely depends on the value of the micromechanical friction coefficient whereas the infuence of the bumpiness of the base is strong. We give evidence that this dilute and agitated layer does not result in significantly less friction. Finally, we show that a steady regime of supported flows can exist on inclines whose angle is carefully chosen.     

Regular and chaotic transport of impurities in steady flows

This paper considers the properties of the transport of impurity particles in steady fluid flows and describes the principal modes of particle motion. An impurity consisting of particles with a lower density than that of the medium is localized at stationary points of the flow, whereas a heavy impurity can perform a spatially unbounded motion. The conditions for the transition from the bounded motion of a heavy impurity to the long-range transport mode, which occurs as a result of a loss of the stability of the heteroclinic trajectory, are obtained for a model two-dimensional flow having an eddy-cell structure. A mode is found in which a particle, after being transported over a long distance, is trapped forever within the confines of one cell. The transition from regular to chaotic particle transport is analyzed. The question of the effect of a small noise (for example, molecular diffusion) on the character of the motion of a heavy impurity is investigated. It is shown that this effect is important at high viscosity and leads to a transition from bounded motion of the impurity particle to diffusion-type chaotic motion. (c) 1994 American Institute of Physics.     

Velocity autocorrelations and viscosity renormalization in sheared granular flows

The decay of the velocity autocorrelation function in a sheared granular flow is analyzed in the limit where the wavelength of fluctuations is larger than the "conduction length," so that energy is a nonconserved variable. The decay of the velocity autocorrelation function is much faster than that in a fluid at equilibrium for which energy is a conserved variable. Specifically, the autocorrelation function in a sheared granular flow decays proportional to t-3 in 2D and t-9/2 in 3D, in contrast with the decay proportional to t-1 in 2D and t-3/2 in 3D for a fluid at equilibrium. The renormalization of the viscosity due to mode coupling is evaluated using this form of the decay of the autocorrelation function. It is found that the logarithmic divergence in the viscosity in 2D, and the divergence of the Burnett coefficients in 3D, which is characteristic of a fluid of elastic particles at equilibrium, is absent in a sheared granular flow.