Numéro |
J. Phys. I France
Volume 4, Numéro 12, December 1994
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Page(s) | 1779 - 1782 | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/jp1:1994115 |
J. Phys. I France 4 (1994) 1779-1782
Short Communication
Computer simulations of granular materials: the effects of mesoscopic forces
G.A. KohringCentral Institute for Applied Mathematics, Research Center Jülich (KFA), D-52425 Jülich, Germany
(Received 12 October 1994, received in final form 13 October 1994, accepted 20 October 1994)
Abstract
The problem of the relatively small angles of repose reported by computer simulations of
granular materials is discussed. It is shown that this problem can be partially understood as
resulting from mesoscopic forces which are commonly neglected in the simulations. After
including mesoscopic forces, characterized by the easily measurable surface energy, 2D
computer simulations indicate that the angle of repose should increase as the size of
the granular grains decreases, an effect not seen without mesoscopic forces. The exact
magnitude of this effect depends upon the value of the surface energy and the coordination
number of the granular pile.
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