Phase-coexisting patterns, horizontal segregation and controlled convection in vertically vibrated binary granular mixtures

TL;DR

This study explores novel phase-coexisting patterns and horizontal segregation in vertically vibrated binary granular mixtures, revealing the role of particle density and convection in pattern formation through experiments and simulations.

Contribution

It introduces new phase-coexisting patterns and demonstrates the influence of particle density on convection and segregation in vibrated granular mixtures.

Findings

Discovery of coexistence of sub-harmonic/harmonic and asynchronous states.

Segregation of particles drives phase coexistence confirmed by experiments and simulations.

Partial convection state coexists with Leidenfrost-like state at strong shaking.

Abstract

We report new patterns, consisting of coexistence of sub-harmonic/harmonic and asynchronous states [for example, a granular gas co-existing with (i) bouncing bed, (ii) undulatory subharmonic waves and (iii) Leidenfrost-like state], in experiments on vertically vibrated binary granular mixtures in a Heleshaw-type cell. Most experiments have been carried out with equimolar binary mixtures of glass and steel balls of same diameter by varying the total layer-height ($F$) for a range of shaking acceleration ($\Gamma$). All patterns as well as the related phase-diagram in the ($\Gamma, F$)-plane have been reproduced via molecular dynamics simulations of the same system. The segregation of heavier and lighter particles along the horizontal direction is shown to be the progenitor of such phase-coexisting patterns as confirmed in both experiment and simulation. At strong shaking we uncover a {\it partial} convection state in which a pair of convection rolls is found to coexist with a Leidenfrost-like state. The crucial role of the relative number density of two species on controlling the buoyancy-driven granular convection is demonstrated. A possible model for spontaneous horizontal segregation is suggested based on anisotropic diffusion.