Sensitivity of Granular Force Chain Orientation to Disorder-Induced Metastable Relaxation

A two-dimensional system of photoelastic disks subject to vertical tapping against gravity was experimentally monitored from ordered to disordered configurations by varying bidispersity. The packing fraction phi, coordination number Z, and an appropriately defined force-chain orientational order parameter S all exhibit as similar sharp transition with a small increase in disorder. A measurable change in S, but not phi and Z, was detected under tapping. We find disorder-induced metastability does not show configurational relaxation, but can be detected via force-chain reorientations.