EXPERIMENTAL-OBSERVATION OF SELF-LOCALIZED STRUCTURE IN GRANULAR MATERIAL

The experimental observation of the soliton mode self-localized structure, e.g., surface heaping and internal convection, has been reported in vertically driven granular material. The formation mechanism of heaping and convection is obviously different from the ordinary one which relates closely to the horizontal restraint of the vertical walls of the container. In theory, a mixed result of a surface fluid state and an internal compact state of the sand under vibration has been employed to explain the experimental phenomenon.