Enlightening force chains: a review of photoelasticimetry in granular matter

Aghil Abed Zadeh (1) , Jonathan Bares (2) , Theodore A Brzinski (3) , Karen E. Daniels (4) , Joshua Dijksman (5) , Nicolas Docquier (6) , Henry O Everitt (1) , Jonathan E Kollmer (7) , Olivier Lantsoght (6) , Dong Wang (1) , Marcel Workamp (5) , Yiqiu Zhao (1) , Hu Zheng (1, 8)

1 Duke University [Durham]
2 Servex - Moyens expérimentaux
3 Haverford College
4 NC State - North Carolina State University [Raleigh]
5 WUR - Wageningen University and Research [Wageningen]
6 UCL - Université Catholique de Louvain = Catholic University of Louvain
7 Universität Duisburg-Essen = University of Duisburg-Essen [Essen]
8 Hohai University

A photoelastic material will reveal its internal stresses when observed through polarizing filters. This eye-catching property has enlightened our understanding of granular materials for over half a century, whether in the service of art, education, or scientific research. In this review article in honor of Robert Behringer, we highlight both his pioneering use of the method in physics research, and its reach into the public sphere through museum exhibits and outreach programs. We aim to provide clear protocols for artists, exhibit-designers, educators, and scientists to use in their own endeavors. It is our hope that this will build awareness about the ubiquitous presence of granular matter in our lives, enlighten its puzzling behavior, and promote conversations about its importance in environmental and industrial contexts. To aid in this endeavor, this paper also serves as a front door to a detailed wiki containing open, community-curated guidance on putting these methods into practice (Abed-Zadeh et al. in Photoelastic methods wiki https ://git-xen.lmgc.univ-montp 2.fr/Photo Elast icity /Main/wikis /home, 2019).

Mots clés: granular matter; photoelasticity; Photoelasticimetry; Force chains; Experimental methods; Image post-processing; Protocols

Domaines: Matière Molle [cond-mat.soft]; Physique : vulgarisation [physics.pop-ph]; Sciences de l'ingénieur [physics]; Science des matériaux [cond-mat.mtrl-sci]; Mécanique des matériaux [physics.class-ph]; Mécanique statistique [cond-mat.stat-mech]; Génie mécanique [physics.class-ph]; Optique [physics.optics]; Matériaux

Aghil Abed Zadeh, Jonathan Bares, Theodore A Brzinski, Karen E. Daniels, Joshua Dijksman, et al.. Enlightening force chains: a review of photoelasticimetry in granular matter. Granular Matter, 2019, 21 (4), ⟨10.1007/s10035-019-0942-2⟩. ⟨hal-02276476⟩