From the stress response function (back) to the sandpile `dip'

We relate the pressure `dip' observed at the bottom of a sandpile prepared by successive avalanches to the stress profile obtained on sheared granular layers in response to a localized vertical overload. We show that, within a simple anisotropic elastic analysis, the skewness and the tilt of the response profile caused by shearing provide a qualitative agreement with the sandpile dip effect. We conclude that the texture anisotropy produced by the avalanches is in essence similar to that induced by a simple shearing -- albeit tilted by the angle of repose of the pile. This work also shows that this response function technique could be very well adapted to probe the texture of static granular packing.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figures, accepted version to appear in Eur. Phys. J.

Quantum partition noise of photo-created electron-hole pairs

We show experimentally that even when no bias voltage is applied to a quantum conductor, the electronic quantum partition noise can be investigated using GHz radiofrequency irradiation of a reservoir. Using a Quantum Point Contact configuration as the ballistic conductor we are able to make an accurate determination of the partition noise Fano factor resulting from the photo-assisted shot noise. Applying both voltage bias and rf irradiation we are able to make a definitive quantitative test of the scattering theory of photo-assisted shot noise.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Footprints in Sand: The Response of a Granular Material to Local Perturbations

We experimentally determine ensemble-averaged responses of granular packings to point forces, and we compare these results to recent models for force propagation in a granular material. We used 2D granular arrays consisting of photoelastic particles: either disks or pentagons, thus spanning the range from ordered to disordered packings. A key finding is that spatial ordering of the particles is a key factor in the force response. Ordered packings have a propagative component that does not occur in disordered packings.Comment: 5 pages, 4 eps figures, Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 035506 (2001

Stress Transmission through Three-Dimensional Ordered Granular Arrays

We measure the local contact forces at both the top and bottom boundaries of three-dimensional face-centered-cubic and hexagonal-close-packed granular crystals in response to an external force applied to a small area at the top surface. Depending on the crystal structure, we find markedly different results which can be understood in terms of force balance considerations in the specific geometry of the crystal. Small amounts of disorder are found to create additional structure at both the top and bottom surfaces.Comment: 9 pages including 9 figures (many in color) submitted to PR

Shock waves in two-dimensional granular flow: effects of rough walls and polydispersity

We have studied the two-dimensional flow of balls in a small angle funnel, when either the side walls are rough or the balls are polydisperse. As in earlier work on monodisperse flows in smooth funnels, we observe the formation of kinematic shock waves/density waves. We find that for rough walls the flows are more disordered than for smooth walls and that shock waves generally propagate more slowly. For rough wall funnel flow, we show that the shock velocity and frequency obey simple scaling laws. These scaling laws are consistent with those found for smooth wall flow, but here they are cleaner since there are fewer packing-site effects and we study a wider range of parameters. For pipe flow (parallel side walls), rough walls support many shock waves, while smooth walls exhibit fewer or no shock waves. For funnel flows of balls with varying sizes, we find that flows with weak polydispersity behave qualitatively similar to monodisperse flows. For strong polydispersity, scaling breaks down and the shock waves consist of extended areas where the funnel is blocked completely.Comment: 11 pages, 15 figures; accepted for PR

Green's function probe of a static granular piling

We present an experiment which aim is to investigate the mechanical properties of a static granular assembly. The piling is an horizontal 3D granular layer confined in a box, we apply a localized extra force at the surface and the spatial distribution of stresses at the bottom is obtained (the mechanical Green's function). For different types of granular media, we observe a linear pressure response which profile shows one peak centered at the vertical of the point of application. The peak's width increases linearly when increasing the depth. This green function seems to be in -at least- qualitative agreement with predictions of elastic theory.Comment: 9 pages, 3 .eps figures, submitted to PR

Scale invariance and universality of force networks in static granular matter

Force networks form the skeleton of static granular matter. They are the key ingredient to mechanical properties, such as stability, elasticity and sound transmission, which are of utmost importance for civil engineering and industrial processing. Previous studies have focused on the global structure of external forces (the boundary condition), and on the probability distribution of individual contact forces. The disordered spatial structure of the force network, however, has remained elusive so far. Here we report evidence for scale invariance of clusters of particles that interact via relatively strong forces. We analyzed granular packings generated by molecular dynamics simulations mimicking real granular matter; despite the visual variation, force networks for various values of the confining pressure and other parameters have identical scaling exponents and scaling function, and thus determine a universality class. Remarkably, the flat ensemble of force configurations--a simple generalization of equilibrium statistical mechanics--belongs to the same universality class, while some widely studied simplified models do not.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures; to appear in Natur

Sensitivity of the stress response function to packing preparation

A granular assembly composed of a collection of identical grains may pack under different microscopic configurations with microscopic features that are sensitive to the preparation history. A given configuration may also change in response to external actions such as compression, shearing etc. We show using a mechanical response function method developed experimentally and numerically, that the macroscopic stress profiles are strongly dependent on these preparation procedures. These results were obtained for both two and three dimensions. The method reveals that, under a given preparation history, the macroscopic symmetries of the granular material is affected and in most cases significant departures from isotropy should be observed. This suggests a new path toward a non-intrusive test of granular material constitutive properties.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures, some numerical data corrected, to appear in J. Phys. Cond. Mat. special issue on Granular Materials (M. Nicodemi Editor

Stress response inside perturbed particle assemblies

The effect of structural disorder on the stress response inside three dimensional particle assemblies is studied using computer simulations of frictionless sphere packings. Upon applying a localised, perturbative force within the packings, the resulting {\it Green's} function response is mapped inside the different assemblies, thus providing an explicit view as to how the imposed perturbation is transmitted through the packing. In weakly disordered arrays, the resulting transmission of forces is of the double-peak variety, but with peak widths scaling linearly with distance from the source of the perturbation. This behaviour is consistent with an anisotropic elasticity response profile. Increasing the disorder distorts the response function until a single-peak response is obtained for fully disordered packings consistent with an isotropic description.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure captions To appear in Granular Matte

Adiabatic quantum pump in the presence of external ac voltages

We investigate a quantum pump which in addition to its dynamic pump parameters is subject to oscillating external potentials applied to the contacts of the sample. Of interest is the rectification of the ac currents flowing through the mesoscopic scatterer and their interplay with the quantum pump effect. We calculate the adiabatic dc current arising under the simultaneous action of both the quantum pump effect and classical rectification. In addition to two known terms we find a third novel contribution which arises from the interference of the ac currents generated by the external potentials and the ac currents generated by the pump. The interference contribution renormalizes both the quantum pump effect and the ac rectification effect. Analysis of this interference effect requires a calculation of the Floquet scattering matrix beyond the adiabatic approximation based on the frozen scattering matrix alone. The results permit us to find the instantaneous current. In addition to the current generated by the oscillating potentials, and the ac current due to the variation of the charge of the frozen scatterer, there is a third contribution which represents the ac currents generated by an oscillating scatterer. We argue that the resulting pump effect can be viewed as a quantum rectification of the instantaneous ac currents generated by the oscillating scatterer. These instantaneous currents are an intrinsic property of a nonstationary scattering process.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figur