Phys. Rev. E 60, 7182 - 7185 (1999)

Shell structures with “magic numbers” of spheres in a swirled dish

Abstract

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Karsten Kötter ^*
Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Physiologie, Postfach 500247, 44202 Dortmund, Germany

Eric Goles ^†
Departamento de Ingeniería Matemática, FCFM, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 170–3, Santiago, Chile

Mario Markus ^‡
Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Physiologie, Postfach 500247, 44202 Dortmund, Germany

Featured in Physics News Update Received 16 November 1998; revised 19 March 1999

Molecular dynamic simulations of a low number N<~54 of spheres in a swirled dish yield solidlike shell structures with stable rings. In contrast to known granular media, solidification occurs only at singular values of N: 7, 8, 12, 14, 19, 21, 30, 37, 40. Otherwise, we obtain intermittent switching of particles between rings — the average switching time scaling exponentially with a control parameter — or fluidlike disorder. Stable shell structures can be classified by particular geometrical arrangements (one-centered hexagonal, one-centered “quasicircular,” three centered, and four centered).

URL: http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevE.60.7182
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.60.7182
PACS: 68.35.Rh, 02.70.Ns, 47.54.+r

^* Electronic address: koetter@mpi-dortmund.mpg.de
^† Electronic address: egoles@dim.uchile.cl
^‡ Electronic address: markus@mpi-dortmund.mpg.de

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Phys. Rev. E 60, 7182 - 7185 (1999)

Shell structures with “magic numbers” of spheres in a swirled dish

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