Radial Segregation Patterns in Rotating Granular Mixtures: Waviness Selection

Abstract

We model the radial segregation patterns that form in a thin rotating drum partially filled with beads of two sizes. We predict that the waviness (or amplitude-to-wavelength ratio, denoted w) of a pattern should be subjected to low-pass filtering with a cutoff waviness w(c) that depends strongly on the fill level of the drum. Then we perform experiments and find that w</=w(c) for all patterns, in accord with our prediction. We also find that w=w(c) for (and only for) steady patterns, and conclude that the waviness of a steady pattern is selected by the low-pass filtering.