Identification of arches in 2D granular packings

Abstract

We identify arches in a bed of granular disks generated by a molecular dynamic-type simulation. We use the history of the deposition of the particles to identify the supporting contacts of each particle. Then, arches are defined as sets of mutually stable disks. Different packings generated through tapping are analyzed. The possibility of identifying arches from the static structure of a deposited bed, without any information on the history of the deposition, is discussed.