Eur. Phys. J. E (2007) 22: 235-240
https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/e2007-00033-x

Topical Issue on Dygram 2006

Correlations and aggregate statistics in granular packs

Department of Applied Mathematics, Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering, The Australian National University, 0200, Canberra, Australia

^* e-mail: tomaso.aste@anu.edu.au

Received: 4 January 2007
Published online: 11 April 2007

Abstract

We study how the aggregate statistical properties for density fluctuations in granular aggregates scale with the sample size and how such a scaling is associated with the correlations between grains. Correlations are studied both between grain positions and between Voronoï cell volumes, showing distinct behaviors and properties. A non-linear scaling in the aggregate volume fluctuations as function of the sample size is discovered and the connection between such anomalous scaling and correlations is explained. It emerges that volume fluctuations might be described by means of a single universal equation for all samples at all cluster sizes.