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arXiv · cond-mat/9909459

Electrostatically-Driven Granular Media: Phase Transitions and Coarsening

I. S. Aranson·D. Blair·V. A. Kalatsky·G. W. Crabtree·W. -K. Kwok·V. M. Vinokur·U. Welp
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Abstract

We report the experimental and theoretical study of electrostatically driven granular material. We show that the charged granular medium undergoes a hysteretic first order phase transition from the immobile condensed state (granular solid) to a fluidized dilated state (granular gas) with a changing applied electric field. In addition we observe a spontaneous precipitation of dense clusters from the gas phase and subsequent coarsening - coagulation of these clusters. Molecular dynamics simulations shows qualitative agreement with experimental results.

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I. S. Aranson, D. Blair, V. A. Kalatsky, G. W. Crabtree, W. -K. Kwok, V. M. Vinokur, U. Welp. 1999-09-30. Electrostatically-Driven Granular Media: Phase Transitions and Coarsening. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.84.3306

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