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arXiv · 1605.07436

Pattern formation of frictional fingers in a gravitational potential

Jon Alm Eriksen·Renaud Toussaint·Knut Jørgen Måløy·Eirik Flekkøy·Bjørnar Sandnes
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Abstract

Aligned finger structures, with a characteristic width, emerges during the slow drainage of a liquid/granular mixture in a tilted Hele-Shaw cell. A transition from vertical to horizontal alignment of the finger structures is observed as the tilting angle and the granular density are varied. An analytical model is presented, demonstrating that the alignment properties is the result of the competition between fluctuating granular stresses and the hydrostatic pressure. The dynamics is reproduced in simulations. We also show how the system explains patterns made during dyke formations.

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Jon Alm Eriksen, Renaud Toussaint, Knut Jørgen Måløy, Eirik Flekkøy, Bjørnar Sandnes. 2017-01-24. Pattern formation of frictional fingers in a gravitational potential. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevfluids.3.013801

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