Origin of geometric cohesion in non-convex granular materials: interplay between interdigitation and rotational constraints enhancing frictional stability

Jonathan Barés; Arnaud Regazzi; David Aponte; Sylvain Buonomo; Mathieu Renouf; Nicolas Estrada; Emilien Azéma

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arXiv · 2601.00262

Origin of geometric cohesion in non-convex granular materials: interplay between interdigitation and rotational constraints enhancing frictional stability

Jonathan Barés·Arnaud Regazzi·David Aponte·Sylvain Buonomo·Mathieu Renouf·Nicolas Estrada·Emilien Azéma

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Abstract

We present a series of experiments investigating the local microstructure of cylindrical piles composed of highly concave particles. By systematically varying particle geometry -- from spheres to strongly non-convex polypods -- as well as frictional properties and the number of branches, we explore how these parameters, together with the preparation protocol, shape the internal structure of the system. Using X-ray tomography combined with a dedicated image-analysis pipeline, we accurately extract the position, orientation, and contacts of every particle in each pile. This allows us to quantify the evolution of key structural observables as a function of particle geometry and preparation method. In particular, we measure the distributions of local packing fraction, coordination number, number of neighbors, and contact locations, along with particle-particle positional and orientational correlations. More importantly, we construct a new stability indicator that correlates perfectly with the observed pile stabilities, enabling us to identify the fundamental mechanisms responsible for \textit{geometrically induced cohesion} in granular systems composed of non-interlocking particle shapes: interdigitation, rotational constraint, friction-mediated cohesion, and the ability of a pile to re-stabilize.

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Jonathan Barés, Arnaud Regazzi, David Aponte, Sylvain Buonomo, Mathieu Renouf, Nicolas Estrada, Emilien Azéma. 2026-01-01. Origin of geometric cohesion in non-convex granular materials: interplay between interdigitation and rotational constraints enhancing frictional stability. https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.00262

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