Support for Faraday's View of Circulation in a Fine-Powder Chladni Heap

Abstract

Faraday, like Chladni, saw fine powder collect in a circular heap at an antinode of a vibrating plate. In each vibration cycle, the heap experiences a free-flight interval during which pressure gradients in the heap's interior drive powder centerward, as Faraday proposed. When heap-floor collision terminates flight, pressure gradients reverse direction; but passage of a compaction front has locked particles against further movement. Before a next flight interval, an increase in porosity will reverse the compaction that accompanied heap-floor collision.