Experiments in the penetration of cuboid intruders near walls into granular matter

TL;DR

This study experimentally investigates how a cuboid intruder interacts with granular matter near a wall, revealing a three-phase motion that enhances repulsion and penetration compared to free release.

Contribution

It demonstrates the complex motion of a cuboid intruder near a wall in granular media, highlighting the influence of boundary interactions on penetration dynamics.

Findings

Intruder exhibits three distinct motions: tilting clockwise, sliding away, then tilting counterclockwise.

Proximity to the wall increases repulsion and penetration of the intruder.

Dynamic behavior is significantly affected by boundary interactions in granular matter.

Abstract

When an object penetrates into granular matter near a boundary, it experiences a horizontal repulsion due to the intruder-grain-wall interaction. Here we show experimentally that a square cuboid intruder, released from rest with no initial velocity, neara vertical wall to its left, goes through three distinct kinds of motion: it first tilts clockwise, then 'slides' away from the wall,and finally tilts counterclockwise. This dynamic highly favors both repulsion and penetration of the cuboid intruder as compared to that observed from its release farther away from the wall