Liquid induced transitions in granular media

TL;DR

This paper explores how interstitial liquid affects granular media, revealing three regimes of behavior—individual, clustered, and flowing—based on liquid content, supported by experimental measurements and theoretical discussion.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed experimental analysis of liquid content effects on granular media, identifying three distinct behavioral regimes and discussing their theoretical implications.

Findings

Identification of three regimes: granular, correlated, and plastic.

Measurement of the angle of repose as a function of liquid content.

Discussion of two theories explaining liquid effects on granular behavior.

Abstract

We investigate the effect of interstitial liquid on the physical properties of granular media by measuring the angle of repose as a function of the liquid content. The resultant adhesive forces lead to three distinct regimes in the observed behavior as the liquid content is increased: a granular regime in which the grains move individually, a correlated regime in which the grains move in correlated clusters, and a plastic regime in which the grains flow coherently. We discuss these regimes in terms of two proposed theories describing the effects of liquid on the physical properties of granular media.