E-Book Overview
The field of granular physics has burgeoned since its development in the late 1980s, when physicists first began to use statistical mechanics to study granular media. They are prototypical of complex systems, manifesting metastability, hysteresis and bistability, and a range of other fascinating phenomena. This book is a wide-ranging account of developments in granular physics, and lays out the foundations of the statics and dynamics of granular physics. It covers a wide range of subfields, ranging from fluidization to jamming, and these are modeled through a range of computer simulation and theoretical approaches. Written with an eye to pedagogy and completeness, this book will be a valuable asset for any researcher in this field. It includes the most recent ideas and contains discussions at the end of each chapter. The book also contains contributions from Professor Sir Sam Edwards, with Dr Raphael Blumenfeld; Professor Isaac Goldhirsch; and Professor Philippe Claudin.
E-Book Content
This page intentionally left blank GRANULAR PHYSICS The field of granular physics has burgeoned since its development in the late 1980s, when physicists first began to use statistical mechanics to study granular media. They are prototypical of complex systems, manifesting metastability, hysteresis, bistability and a range of other fascinating phenomena. This book provides a wide-ranging account of developments in granular physics, and lays out the foundations of the statics and dynamics of granular physics. It covers a wide range of subfields, ranging from fluidisation to jamming, and these are modelled through a range of computer simulation and theoretical approaches. Written with an eye to pedagogy and completeness, this book will be a valuable asset for any researcher in this field. In addition to Professor Mehta’s detailed exposition of granular dynamics, the book contains co