Shear Dynamics in a Floating 2D Granular System

Jr-Jiun Lin^1*, Zi-Qi Ho^1,2, Jih-Chiang Tsai¹

¹Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
²Department of Physics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan

* Presenter:Jr-Jiun Lin, email:ljj@as.edu.tw

We present a quasi-2D experimental platform built to investigate granular flow under steady shear. The use of photoelastic disks allows for direct visualization and measurement of internal stress. Uniform plane shear flow over large deformation is achieved by circulating the disks between driven belts. We effectively eliminate basal friction—an inevitable artifact in similar experiments—by floating the disks in a glycerin solution. Furthermore, a trained neural network is implemented to accurately identify contact points between disks, compensating for imaging imperfections caused by the fluid. Initial results show discrete rearrangements of the force network under steady shear that occurs during localized "quaking events" of various magnitudes.

Keywords: Granular Flow, Intermittency, Photoelasticity