Additional Transition Line in Jammed Asymmetric Bidisperse Granular Packings

Abstract

We present numerical evidence for an additional discontinuous transition, upon compression, inside the jammed regime for an asymmetric bidisperse granular packing. This additional transition line separates jammed states with networks of predominantly large particles from jammed networks formed by both large and small particles, and the transition is indicated by a discontinuity in the number of particles contributing to the jammed network. The additional transition line emerges from the curves of jamming transitions and terminates in an end point where the discontinuity vanishes. The additional line is starting at a size ratio around δ=0.22 and grows longer for smaller δ. For δ→0, the additional transition line approaches a limit that can be derived analytically. The observed jamming scenarios are reminiscent of glass-glass transitions found in colloidal glasses.