Pattern formation in a rotating suspension of non-Brownian settling particles

Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys. 2003 May;67(5 Pt 1):050301. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.67.050301. Epub 2003 May 14.

Abstract

We report band formation and other pattern formation for a settling suspension of uniform non-Brownian particles in a completely filled horizontal rotating cylinder. The system shows a series of sharp pattern changes that are mapped out as a function of the rotation period and suspension viscosity. The experiment suggests that a large number of patterns and rich dynamics result from the interplay among the viscous drag, and gravitational and centrifugal forces.