Incollection,
Statistical properties of random polydisperse packings and bearings
Abstract Book of the XXIII IUPAP International Conference on Statistical Physics, Genova, Italy, (9-13 July 2007)
Abstract
We extend the study of polydisperse space-filling packings and
bearings to a more realistic situation, where the parameter
controlling polydispersity varies randomly according to a given
distribution.
We show that fully random bearings remain
the fundamental features observed in previous situations and
obtain the typical exponent for the size
distribution of the polydisperse packing.
The algorithm suits for both spherical and nonspherical shapes
of the particles and maximizes the range of admissible sizes.
Further, effects of external fields on the packing density
and on the emergence of a bearing configuration are discussed.
Finally, some remarks on the energy spectrum associated to
these packings are pointed out and compared with other physical
situations, namely to turbulent flows.
