Measurements and Simulations of Wave Propagation in Agitated Granular Beds

Wave propagation in a granular bed is a complicated, highly nonlinear phenomenon. Yet studies of wave propagation provide important information on the characteristics of these materials. Fundamental nonlinearities of the bed include those in the particle contact model and the fact that there exists zero applied force when grains are out of contact. The experimental work of Liu and Nagal showed the strong dependence of wave propagation on the forming and breaking of particle chains. As a result of the nonlinearities, anomalous behavior such as solitary waves and sonic vacuum have been predicted by Nesterenko. In the present work we examine wave propagation in a granular bed subjected to vertical agitation. The agitation produces continual adjustment of force chains in the bed. Wave propagation speed and attenuation measurements were made for such a system for a range of frequencies considerably higher than that used for the agitation. Both laboratory experiments and simulations (using a two-dimensional, discrete soft-particle model) have been used. The present paper is a progress report on the simulations