Summary: Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
Physica A 327 (2003) 94­98
www.elsevier.com/locate/physa
A nonlinear di usion model for
granular segregation
H.C. Marques Fernandesa, J.J. Arenzona;, Y. Levina, M. Sellittob
aInstituto de FÃsica-UFRGS, CP 15051, Porto Alegre, RS 91501­970, Brazil
bThe Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Strada Costiera,
Trieste 11-34100, Italy
Abstract
We study a set of nonlinear di usion equations describing the evolution of densely packed
particles under gravity subject to random vibrations. Although the thermodynamics of the model
predicts no phase separation at all, the dynamics displays both normal and reverse segregation
depending on the mass of the species present in the system.
c 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
PACS: 45.70.-n; 45.70.Mg
Keywords: Granular systems; Jamming transition; Brazil nut e ect
Among the complex properties displayed by vibrated (or sheared) granular mate-
rials, segregation is one of the more fascinating and less understood. Subject of in-
tense research in the last years, several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the

Source: Arenzon, Jeferson J. - Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
Levin, Yan - Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Collections: Physics