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Signatures of glass formation in a fluidized bed of hard spheres

Daniel I. Goldman·Harry L. Swinney
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Abstract

We demonstrate that a fluidized bed of hard spheres during defluidization displays properties associated with formation of a glass. The final state is rate dependent, and as this state is approached, the bed exhibits heterogeneity with increasing time and length scales. The formation of a glass results in the loss of fluidization and an arrest of macroscopic particle motion. Microscopic motion persists in this state, but the bed can be jammed by application of a small increase in flow rate. Thus a fluidized bed can serve as a test system for studies of glass formation and jamming.

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Daniel I. Goldman, Harry L. Swinney. 2006-03-10. Signatures of glass formation in a fluidized bed of hard spheres. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.96.145702

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