A Vibrated Compacting Granular System: A DEM Light Scattering Comparison

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Heitmeier, Linnea, Gabriel, Jan
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Heitmeier, Linnea
Gabriel, Jan
author_facet Heitmeier, Linnea
Gabriel, Jan
contents We perform Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulations of granular particles (polystyrene spheres) vibrated inside a cubic container. The study investigates the evolution of the packing fraction with and without rotational friction at different shaking amplitudes. The mean-squared displacement (MSD) is used to analyze the particles' diffusive, subdiffusive, and superdiffusive behavior. By monitoring both the dynamics and density evolution, one can observe the system's glassification. The comparison with experiments shows that the MSDs from the simulations are significantly higher than the MSDs measured by Diffusing Wave Spectroscopy (DWS) \cite{kunzner2025dynamics}. Following our finding that the rotational MSD is of the same order of magnitude as the MSD measured in DWS experiments, we propose that the experimental signal is not dominated by translational motion but rather by rotational particle dynamics. This provides access to a relevant particle property that has previously been difficult to measure directly. Finally, we conclude that the system reaches a dynamically constrained state well before random close packing, with particle displacements already below the Lindemann length.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_01921
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A Vibrated Compacting Granular System: A DEM Light Scattering Comparison
Heitmeier, Linnea
Gabriel, Jan
Soft Condensed Matter
We perform Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulations of granular particles (polystyrene spheres) vibrated inside a cubic container. The study investigates the evolution of the packing fraction with and without rotational friction at different shaking amplitudes. The mean-squared displacement (MSD) is used to analyze the particles' diffusive, subdiffusive, and superdiffusive behavior. By monitoring both the dynamics and density evolution, one can observe the system's glassification. The comparison with experiments shows that the MSDs from the simulations are significantly higher than the MSDs measured by Diffusing Wave Spectroscopy (DWS) \cite{kunzner2025dynamics}. Following our finding that the rotational MSD is of the same order of magnitude as the MSD measured in DWS experiments, we propose that the experimental signal is not dominated by translational motion but rather by rotational particle dynamics. This provides access to a relevant particle property that has previously been difficult to measure directly. Finally, we conclude that the system reaches a dynamically constrained state well before random close packing, with particle displacements already below the Lindemann length.
title A Vibrated Compacting Granular System: A DEM Light Scattering Comparison
topic Soft Condensed Matter
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.01921