Simulation of pattern dynamics of cohesive granular particles under a plane shear

TL;DR

This study uses three-dimensional molecular dynamics simulations to explore the phase behavior of cohesive granular particles under plane shear, revealing three distinct steady-state phases and a critical dissipation-shear relationship.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed simulation analysis of phase transitions in cohesive granular particles under shear, identifying three phases and a quantitative critical line.

Findings

Identification of three steady-state phases: uniform shear, coexistence of shear band and gas, and crystal.

Discovery of an exponential relationship between dissipation rate and shear rate at phase boundary.

Quantitative characterization of phase transition conditions in cohesive granular systems.

Abstract

We have performed three-dimensional molecular dynamics simulation of cohesive granular particles under a plane shear. From the simulation, we found the existence of three distinct phases in steady states: (I) a uniform shear phase, (II) a coexistent phase of a shear band and a gas region and (III) a crystal phase. We also found that the critical line between (II) and (III) is approximately represented by $\zeta \propto \exp(\beta \dot\gamma L_y)$, where $\zeta$, $\beta$, $\dot\gamma$, $L_y$ are the dissipation rate, an unimportant constant, the shear rate and the system size of the velocity gradient direction, respectively.