Dynamically induced effective interaction in periodically driven granular mixtures

We show that a granular mixture subject to horizontal oscillations can be reduced to a monodisperse system of particles interacting via an effective interaction. This interaction is attractive at short distances and strongly anisotropic, and its features explain the system rich phenomenology, including segregation and stripe pattern formation. Finally, we show that a modified Cahn-Hilliard equation, which takes into account the characteristics of the effective interaction, is capable of describing the dynamics of the mixture.     

Mean-Field Theory for Percolation Models of the Ising Type

The q=2 random cluster model is studied in the context of two mean-field models: the Bethe lattice and the complete graph. For these systems, the critical exponents that are defined in terms of finite clusters have some anomalous values as the critical point is approached from the high-density side, which vindicates the results of earlier studies. In particular, the exponent ~ which characterizes the divergence of the average size of finite clusters is 1/2, and ~, the exponent associated with the length scale of finite clusters, is 1/4. The full collection of exponents indicates an upper critical dimension of 6. The standard mean field exponents of the Ising system are also present in this model (=1/2, =1), which implies, in particular, the presence of two diverging length-scales. Furthermore, the finite cluster exponents are stable to the addition of disorder, which, near the upper critical dimension, may have interesting implications concerning the generality of the disordered system/correlation length bounds.     

Clusters and Ising droplets in the antiferromagnetic lattice gas

A definition of clusters of particles and holes with antiferromagnetic order is given for a lattice gas with coupling constant K < 0. In two dimensions it is shown that the Ising antiferromagnetic critical line is also a percolation line if P_b = 1 - exp(-|K|/2). Along this line these clusters called “droplets” diverge with Ising exponents.     

Dynamical correlation length and relaxation processes in a glass former

We investigate the relaxation process and the dynamical heterogeneities of the kinetically constrained Kob-Andersen lattice glass model and show that these are characterized by different time scales. The dynamics is well described within the diffusing defect paradigm, which suggests that we relate the relaxation process to a reverse-percolation transition. This allows for a geometrical interpretation of the relaxation process and of the different time scales.     

Generalized percolation models for frustrated spin systems

Summary A brief review on how to study frustrated spin models by mapping them into generalized percolation models is given. The percolation models associated to a number of deterministic frustrated models are discussed with particular attention on the properties of critical clusters. Paper presented at the I Internatioanl Conference on Scaling Concepts and Complex Fluids, Copanello, Italy, July 4–8, 1994.     

Compaction and force propagation in granular packings

Motivated by experimental results in granular media, and some recently proposed scalar force models for these materials, some aspects of packing properties and their force distributions are studied in a frustrated Ising lattice gas.     

Granular species segregation under vertical tapping: effects of size, density, friction, and shaking amplitude

We present extensive molecular dynamics simulations on species segregation in a granular mixture subject to vertical taps. We discuss how grain properties, e.g., size, density, friction, as well as shaking properties, e.g., amplitude and frequency, affect such a phenomenon. Both the Brazil nut effect (larger particles on the top, BN) and the reverse Brazil nut effect (larger particles on the bottom, RBN) are found and we derive the system comprehensive "segregation diagram" and the BN to RBN crossover line. We also discuss the role of friction and show that particles which differ only for their frictional properties segregate in states depending on the tapping acceleration and frequency.     

Size segregation in granular media induced by phase transition

In order to study analytically the nature of the size segregation in granular mixtures, we introduce a mean field theory in the framework of a statistical mechanics approach, based on Edwards' original ideas. For simplicity we apply the theory to a lattice model for a hard sphere binary mixture under gravity, and we find a new purely thermodynamic mechanism that gives rise to the size segregation phenomenon. By varying the number of small grains and the mass ratio, we find a crossover from the Brazil nut to the reverse Brazil nut effect, which becomes a true phase transition when the number of small grains is larger then a critical value. We suggest that this transition is induced by the effective attraction between large grains due to the presence of small ones (depletion force). Finally the theoretical results are confirmed by numerical simulations of the 3d system under taps.