Shock propagation in a granular chain

TL;DR

This paper numerically investigates shock wave propagation in a no-tension elastic granular chain, confirming a scaling law for the decay of shock peaks over time.

Contribution

It introduces a numerical analysis of shock dynamics in a no-tension granular chain and validates a recent decay scaling law.

Findings

Shock waves exhibit a sequence of decreasing peaks.

The decay of the main shock peak follows a specific scaling law.

Velocity and amplitude of peaks diminish over time.

Abstract

We numerically solve the propagation of a shock wave in a chain of elastic beads with no restoring forces under traction (no-tension elasticity). We find a sequence of peaks of decreasing amplitude and velocity. Analyzing the main peak at different times we confirm a recently proposed scaling law for its decay.