Sheared force-networks: anisotropies, yielding and geometry

Snoeijer, Jacco H.; Ellenbroek, Wouter G.; Vlugt, Thijs. J. H.; van Hecke, Martin

Sheared force-networks: anisotropies, yielding and geometry

Authors

Snoeijer, Jacco H.

Ellenbroek, Wouter G.

Vlugt, Thijs. J. H.

van Hecke, Martin

Description

A scenario for yielding of granular matter is presented by considering the ensemble of force networks for a given contact network and applied shear stress $τ$. As $τ$ is increased, the probability distribution of contact forces becomes highly anisotropic, the difference between average contact forces along minor and major axis grows, and the allowed networks span a shrinking subspace of all force-networks. Eventually, contacts start to break, and at the yielding shear stress, the packing becomes effectively isostatic. The size of the allowed subspace exhibits simple scaling properties, which lead to a prediction of the yield stress for packings of arbitrary contact number.
4 pages, 4 figures