Characterization of granular compaction by nonlinear acoustic resonance method

A method of nonlinear acoustic resonance is applied to monitor the evolution in the linear and nonlinear elastic and dissipative mechanical properties of a granular packing in the process of its compaction by consecutive mechanical taps. It is demonstrated that the variations in the nonlinear mechanical properties are more pronounced than those in the linear ones, indicating the advantage of nonlinear acoustic methods for the compaction control. The experimental observations revealed for the first time the modification in the statistical distribution of the grain-grain contact interaction forces by the compaction. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.