| Wed March 18th 2009 16:00 ZH286 | Seminar | Granular segregation Katharine Giannasi |
Details:We report the results of an experimental investigation of a horizontally vibrated granular binary mixture. We find segregation above a critical packing fraction, where packing fraction is the nondimensionalised measure of the tray surface area containing granular material. In previous work a critical packing fraction was identified for mixtures of 1596 spheres and poppy seeds. This critical point occurred between the mixed and segregated states and closely resembled a continuous phase transition. Here we present experimental results showing the dependence of critical packing fraction when quantities of both particle types are varied, with particular interest given to small numbers of spheres. Furthermore, we also present results of a binary mixture of spheres whose sizes are identical, but which differ in density and coefficient of friction. Interestingly, this identically sized binary mixture produces segregation through a novel mechanism. | ||
