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Granular Convection in Microgravity

N. Murdoch, B. Rozitis, K. Nordstrom, S. F. Green, P. Michel, T.-L. de Lophem, and W. Losert
Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 018307 – Published 3 January 2013; Erratum Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 029902 (2013)
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Abstract

We investigate the role of gravity on convection in a dense granular shear flow. Using a microgravity-modified Taylor-Couette shear cell under the conditions of parabolic flight microgravity, we demonstrate experimentally that secondary, convective-like flows in a sheared granular material are close to zero in microgravity and enhanced under high-gravity conditions, though the primary flow fields are unaffected by gravity. We suggest that gravity tunes the frictional particle-particle and particle-wall interactions, which have been proposed to drive the secondary flow. In addition, the degree of plastic deformation increases with increasing gravitational forces, supporting the notion that friction is the ultimate cause.

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  • Received 31 July 2012
  • Publisher error corrected 7 January 2013

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.018307

© 2013 American Physical Society

Corrections

7 January 2013

Erratum

Publisher’s Note: Granular Convection in Microgravity [Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 018307 (2013)]

N. Murdoch, B. Rozitis, K. Nordstrom, S. F. Green, P. Michel, T.-L. de Lophem, and W. Losert
Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 029902 (2013)

Synopsis

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Grain Flow Relies on Gravity

Published 3 January 2013

Previously observed convection in granular materials is now shown to be driven in part by the force of gravity, according to new microgravity experiments.

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Authors & Affiliations

N. Murdoch1,2,*, B. Rozitis2, K. Nordstrom3, S. F. Green2, P. Michel1, T.-L. de Lophem2, and W. Losert3,†

  • 1Laboratoire Lagrange, UMR 7293, Université de Nice Sophia-Antipolis, CNRS, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, 06300 Nice, France
  • 2Planetary and Space Sciences, Department of Physical Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, United Kingdom
  • 3Institute for Physical Science and Technology, and Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA

  • *murdoch@oca.eu
  • wlosert@umd.edu

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Issue

Vol. 110, Iss. 1 — 4 January 2013

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