Dynamics of a Rotating Sphere on Free Surface of Vibrated Granular Materials

We investigate the rotational dynamics of a low-density sphere on the free surface of a vertically vibrated granular material（VGM）. The dynamical behavior of the sphere is influenced by the external energy input from an electromagnetic shaker which is proportional to ε,where ε is equal to the ratio between the square of the dimensionless acceleration Γ and the square of the vibration frequency f of the container. Empirical results reveal that as the VGM transits from local-to-global convection,an increase in ε generally corresponds to an increase in the magnitudes of the rotational ω（RS） and translational v（CM） velocities of the sphere, an increase in the observed tilting angle θ（bed） of the VGM bed, and a decrease in the time t（wall） it takes the sphere to roll down the tilted VGM bed and hit the container wall. During unstable convection, an increase in ε results in a sharp decrease in the sphere＇s peak and mean ω（RS）,and a slight increase in t（wall）.For the range of ε values covered in this study, the sphere may execute persistent rotation, wobbling or jamming, depending on the vibration parameters and the resulting convective flow in the system.

Measuring the mechanical properties of small body regolith layers using a granular penetrometer

Small bodies in the solar system are known to be covered by a layer of loose unconsolidated soil composed of grains ranging from dusty sands to rugged boulders.Various geophysical processes have modified these regolith layers since their origin.Therefore,the landforms on regolith-blanketed surfaces hold vital clues for reconstructing the geological processes occurring on small bodies.However,the mechanical strength of small body regolith remains unclear,which is an important parameter for understanding its dynamic evolution.Furthermore,regolith mechanical properties are key factors for the design and operation of space missions that interact with small body surfaces.The granular penetrometer,which is an instrument that facilitates in situ mechanical characterization of surface/subsurface materials,has attracted significant attention.However,we still do not fully understand the penetration dynamics related to granular regolith,partially because of the experimental difficulties in measuring grain-scale responses under microgravity,particularly on the longer timescales of small body dynamics.In this study,we analyzed the slow intrusion ofa locomotor into granular matter through large-scale numerical simulations based on a soft sphere discrete element model.We demonstrated that the resistance force of cohesionlessregolith increases abruptly with penetration depth after contact and then transitions to a linear regime.The scale factor of the steady-state component is roughly proportionalto the internal friction of the granular materials,which allows us to deduce the shearstrength of planetary soils by measuring their force depth relationships.When cohesion is included,due to the brittle behavior of cohesive materials,the resistance profile is characterized by a stationary state at a large penetration depth.The saturation resistance,which represents the failure threshold of granular materials,increases with the cohesion strength of the regolith.This positive correlation provides a reliable tool for measuring the tensile strength of granular regolith in small body touchdown missions.

An analysis of the chaotic motion of particles of different sizes in a gas fluidized bed

The dynamic behavior of individual particles during the mixing/segregation process of particle mixtures in a gas fluidized bed is analyzed. The analysis is based on the results generated from discrete particle simulation, with the focus on the trajectory of and forces acting on individual particles. Typical particles are selected representing three kinds of particle motion： a flotsam particle which is initially at the bottom part of the bed and finally fluidized at the top part of the bed; a jetsam particle which is initially at the top part of the bed and finally stays in the bottom de-fluidized layer of the bed; and a jetsam particle which is intermittently joining the top fluidized and bottom de-fluidized layers. The results show that the motion of a particle is chaotic at macroscopic or global scale, but can be well explained at a microscopic scale in terms of its interaction forces and contact conditions with other particles, particle-fluid interaction force, and local flow structure. They also highlight the need for establishing a suitable method to link the information generated and modeled at different time and length scales.