Size Segregation and Convection of Granular Mixtures Almost Completely Packed in a Thin Rotating Box

Abstract

We simulate size segregation in granular mixtures which are almost completely packed in a rotating drum. Instead of a 3D drum, we simulate a 2D thin rotating box which is almost completely packed with granular mixtures. The phase inversion of a radially segregated pattern which was found in a 3D experiment is qualitatively reproduced with this simulation. A global convection appears after a radial segregation pattern is formed, and this convection induces an axially segregated pattern.