Scientists Uncover the Mysteries of Granular Materials
Scientists have uncovered the mysteries of the behavior of granular materials, which can flow like liquids or behave like solids depending on the conditions. This phenomenon creates challenges in various fields, from agriculture to pharmaceuticals.
As reported by Science Alert, researchers have been able to explain the unexpected properties of granular materials that can change their state, which can be a problem, for example, in construction or grain processing.
For example, sand in an hourglass flows like a liquid, but can also behave like a solid under pressure. Similarly, rice, coffee, or beads behave in the same way. This phenomenon, known as «jamming,» is of interest to scientists as they strive to understand how this transition of states occurs.
American physicists Onutt Narayan and Harsh Matur studied vibrations inside packets of polystyrene beads for their research and described them using random matrix theory. This helped them understand the conditions that lead to the sudden «jamming» of granular materials and a change in their state.
