arXiv subjects

Morgane Houssais

Publications and source records attributed to Morgane Houssais.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2024

Settling of two rigidly connected spheres

Laboratory experiments and particle-resolved simulations are employed to investigate the settling dynamics of a pair of rigidly connected spherical particles of unequal size. They yield a detailed picture of the transient evolution and the terminal values of the aggregate's orientation angle and its settling and drift velocities as functions of the aspect ratio and the Galileo number $Ga$, which denotes the ratio of buoyancy and viscous forces acting on the aggregate. At low to moderate values of $Ga$, the aggregate's orientation and velocity converge to their terminal values monotonically, whereas for higher $Ga$-values the aggregate tends to undergo a more complex motion. If the aggregate assumes an asymmetric terminal orientation, it displays a nonzero terminal drift velocity. For diameter ratios much larger than one and small $Ga$, the terminal orientation of the aggregate becomes approximately vertical, whereas when $Ga$ is sufficiently large for flow separation to occur, the aggregate orients itself such that the smaller sphere is located at the separation line. Empirical scaling laws are obtained for the terminal settling velocity and orientation angle as functions of the aspect ratio and $Ga$ for diameter ratios from 1 to 4 and particle-to-fluid density ratios from 1.3 to 5. An analysis of the accompanying flow field shows the formation of vortical structures exhibiting complex topologies in the aggregate's wake, and it indicates the formation of a horizontal pressure gradient across the larger sphere, which represents the main reason for the emergence of the drift velocity.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2023

Soft matter physics of the ground beneath our feet

Inspired by presentations by the authors during a workshop organized at the Princeton Center for Theoretical Science (PCTS) in January 2022, we present a perspective on some of the outstanding questions related to the "physics of the ground beneath our feet." These identified challenges are intrinsically shared with the field of Soft Matter but also have unique aspects when the natural environment is studied.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2021

Strain hardening by sediment transport

The critical fluid-shear stress for the onset of sediment transport, $θ_c$, varies with the history of applied shear. This effect has been attributed to compaction, but the role of shear jamming is unexplored. We examine the response of a granular bed to fluid-shear stress cycles of varying magnitude and direction, and determine isotropic and anisotropic contributions. Creep and bed-load transport result in direction-dependent strain hardening for $θ/θ_c < 4$. Dilation-induced weakening, and memory loss, occurs for larger stresses that fluidize the bed. Our findings provide a granular explanation for the formation and breakup of hard packed river-bed 'armor'.

physics.geo-ph↗

arXiv2020

Sediment creep triggered by porous flow

Quasi-2D experiments of a submerged sediment layer creeping downward were performed, varying the channel tilt and a porous flow under the respective thresholds for yielding. Logarithmic decay rates of the deformation are observed, with the rate increasing with both control parameters. A new dimensionless parameter, $P^*$, accounting for both mean porous flow and gravity force effects on particle motion, allows a collapse of all the deformation results on a single curve. Two distinct creep regimes are identified, and correspond to a systematic change of the void size distribution as $P^*$ increases.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2018

Soil granular dynamics on-a-chip: fluidization inception under scrutiny

Predicting rapid and slower soil evolution remains a scientific challenge. This process involves poorly understood aspects of disordered granular matter and dense suspension dynamics. This study presents a novel two-dimensional experiment on a small-scale chip structure; this allows the observation of the deformation at the particle scale of a large-grained sediment bed, under conditions where friction dominate over cohesive and thermal forces, and with an imposed fluid flow. Experiments are performed at conditions which span the particle resuspension criterion, and particle motion is detected and analyzed. The void size population and statistics of particle trajectories bring insight to the sediment dynamics near fluidization conditions. Specifically, particle rearrangement and net bed compaction are observed at flow rates significantly below the criterion for instability growth. Above a threshold, a large vertical channel through the bed forms. In the range of flow rates where channelization can occur, the coexistence of compacting and dilating bed scenarios is observed. The results of the study enhance our capacity for modeling of both slow dynamics and eventual rapid destabilization of sediment beds. Microfluidics channel soil-on-a-chip studies open avenues to new investigations including dissolution-precipitation, fine particles transport, or micro-organisms swimming and population growth, which may depend on mechanics of the porous media itself.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2016

River-bed armoring as a granular segregation phenomenon

Gravel-river beds typically have an "armored" layer of coarse grains on the surface, which acts to protect finer particles underneath from erosion. River bed-load transport is a kind of dense granular flow, and such flows are known to vertically segregate grains. The contribution of granular physics to river-bed armoring, however, has not been investigated. Here we examine these connections in a laboratory river with bimodal sediment size, by tracking the motion of particles from the surface to deep inside the bed, and find that armor develops by two distinct mechanisms. Bed-load transport in the near-surface layer drives rapid segregation, with a vertical advection rate proportional to the granular shear rate. Creeping grains beneath the bed-load layer give rise to slow but persistent segregation, which is diffusion dominated and insensitive to shear rate. We verify these findings with a continuum phenomenological model and discrete element method simulations. Our results suggest that river beds armor by granular segregation from below --- rather than fluid-driven sorting from above --- while also providing new insights on the mechanics of segregation that are relevant to a wide range of granular flows.

physics.geo-ph↗