Publication Date

2009

Comments

This is the prepublished version harvested from ArXiv. The published version is located at http://prl.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v102/i2/e024102

Abstract

We provide a quantitative characterization of dissipative effects in one-dimensional granular crystals. We use the propagation of highly nonlinear solitary waves as a diagnostic tool and develop optimization schemes that allow one to compute the relevant exponents and prefactors of the dissipative terms in the equations of motion. We thereby propose a quantitatively accurate extension of the Hertzian model that encompasses dissipative effects via a discrete Laplacian of the velocities. Experiments and computations with steel, brass, and polytetrafluoroethylene reveal a common dissipation exponent with a material-dependent prefactor.

Pages

-

Volume

102

Issue

2

Journal Title

PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS