Geometric Origin of Macroscopic Alignment in Granular Flows
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arXiv
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2026
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| _version_ | 1866918528074907648 |
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| author | Harper, Christopher Breard, Eric C. P. Bergantz, George W. Zrelak, PJ |
| author_facet | Harper, Christopher Breard, Eric C. P. Bergantz, George W. Zrelak, PJ |
| contents | Predicting the alignment of non-spherical particles in dense granular flows under shear remains a central challenge in soft matter physics. We demonstrate that the first-order behavior of granular fabric,the anisotropic distribution of contacts, is a direct consequence of particle boundary geometry. By assuming uniform contact probability along a particle's perimeter, we derive a mapping between local curvature and the macroscopic distribution of contact normals. This minimal geometric framework accurately predicts the uniaxial nematic order parameter S2 observed in both three-dimensional discrete element simulations and laboratory experiments using various particle geometries (e.g., rice, fibers, and disks) across a wide range of aspect ratios. Our results show that particle shape dictates the available orientation statistics, providing a purely geometric baseline for the emergence of fabric in dense granular systems. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_28633 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Geometric Origin of Macroscopic Alignment in Granular Flows Harper, Christopher Breard, Eric C. P. Bergantz, George W. Zrelak, PJ Soft Condensed Matter Fluid Dynamics Geophysics Predicting the alignment of non-spherical particles in dense granular flows under shear remains a central challenge in soft matter physics. We demonstrate that the first-order behavior of granular fabric,the anisotropic distribution of contacts, is a direct consequence of particle boundary geometry. By assuming uniform contact probability along a particle's perimeter, we derive a mapping between local curvature and the macroscopic distribution of contact normals. This minimal geometric framework accurately predicts the uniaxial nematic order parameter S2 observed in both three-dimensional discrete element simulations and laboratory experiments using various particle geometries (e.g., rice, fibers, and disks) across a wide range of aspect ratios. Our results show that particle shape dictates the available orientation statistics, providing a purely geometric baseline for the emergence of fabric in dense granular systems. |
| title | Geometric Origin of Macroscopic Alignment in Granular Flows |
| topic | Soft Condensed Matter Fluid Dynamics Geophysics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.28633 |