Paper Number
PL1                         My Program 

Session
Plenary Lectures

Title
Rheology of granular matter on Earth and in the solar system

Presentation Date and Time
October 14, 2024 (Monday) 8:30

Track / Room
Plenary Lectures / Waterloo 3 & 4

Authors (Click on name to view author profile)

1. Daniels, Karen E. (North Carolina State University, Department of Physics)
2. Jerolmack, Douglas J. (University of Pennsylvania, Department of Earth and Environmental Science)

Author and Affiliation Lines (in printed abstract book)
Karen E. Daniels¹ and Douglas J. Jerolmack^2
1Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695; ²Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104

Speaker / Presenter 
Daniels, Karen E.

Keywords
experimental methods; data-driven rheology; dense systems; future of rheology; low gravity research; networks; particles; particualte systems; real-world rheology; space applications; techniques

Text of Abstract
Most granular rheology experiments have been conducted on relatively homogeneous materials, in laboratories, and on planet Earth. Even so, these materials are often composed of granular admixtures – frictional grains mixed with cohesive particles and polymers, liquid or solid water, and chemical precipitates – with surprising mechanical properties that can vary in space and time. In spite of granular matter’s well-earned reputation for being unpredictable, these studies have allowed us to successfully design industrial processes, explain geological flows, and build stable structures. As humans (and our robotic proxies) explore our solar system, we encounter even more exotic granular systems and gravitational environments: lunar regolith contains fractal particles that are abrasive and entangle easily, the Moon and Mars contain ice-granular mixtures that are targets for exploitation, and asteroids with nearly zero gravity making landing and sample extraction hazardous. In this talk we’ll explore the challenges presented by these contexts, building from “simple” granular materials to complex Earth materials to extraterrestrial bodies. The throughline will be how novel rheometry experiments – necessitated by the complexity of planetary materials and environments – can lead to both a deeper understanding of soft matter, and to improving how we live on and explore Earth and the solar system. Demonstrations of rheological measurements performed by a robot dog will be included in the talk: bring your virtual dog biscuits.