Micromechanics of slow granular flows

It has been contemplated for a long time that dense granular materials flow in stick-slip manner, and large fluctuations the stresses are associated with it. However, particle scale mechanics this type of macroscopic motion not understood so far. We have analyzed evolution contact networks from dynamics simulations found rate change elastic energy packing can distinguish stick regimes slip events. The isostatic criterion (number contacts minimally stable particle) used to construct cascade failure mechanism which reveals effect random breaking due applied shear be system-spanning some cases. size failures follows power law explains experimentally observed is stresses. expect distribution connect microstructure its mechanical response.