Abstract
We report on the dynamics of a model frictional system submitted to minute external perturbations. The system consists of a chain of sliders connected through elastic springs that rest on an incline. By introducing cyclic expansions and contractions of the springs we observe a reptation of the chain. We account for the average reptation velocity theoretically. The velocity of small systems exhibits a series of plateaus as a function of the incline angle. Due to elastic effects, there exists a critical amplitude below which the reptation is expected to cease. However, rather than a full stop of the creep, we observe in numerical simulations a transition between a continuous-creep and an irregular-creep regime when the critical amplitude is approached. The latter transition is reminiscent of the transition between the continuous and the irregular compaction of granular matter submitted to periodic temperature changes.
Highlights
Granular materials are collections of macroscopic particles that interact via dissipative forces
We reported on the detailed behavior of a frictional system subjected to thermal dilations
We observed that for a small number of sliders in the chain and large amplitude of the dilations, the ’reptation’ velocity of the center of mass exhibits a series of plateaus as a function of the incline angle
Summary
Granular materials are collections of macroscopic particles (grains) that interact via dissipative forces. Thermal agitation will not suffice to induce rearrangements and, for this reason, granular matter is said to be athermal [1,2,3] This is a simplified view that assumes an idealized situation in which all perturbation (temperature variations, humidity changes, mechanical noise, etc.), even minute, can be suppressed. Uncontrolled thermal dilations have been reported to generate stress fluctuations large enough to hinder reproducible measurements of the stress field inside a granular pile [4, 5]. They were even suspected to be the driving factor leading to large-scale ’static avalanches’ [6]. Even if the transition is thought to be due to finite size effects (i.e. the finite number of grains in the diameter of the tube), the mechanisms, in particular the role played by the confining walls, are still under debate
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