A basis for the statistical mechanics of granular systems

Abstract

This paper aims to justify the use of statistical mechanics tools in situations where the system is out of equilibrium and jammed. Specifically, we derive a Boltzmann equation for a jammed granular system and show that the Boltzmann's analysis can be used to produce a ``Second Law'', $\dot{S}\ge 0$ for jammed systems. We highlight the fundamental questions in this area of physics and point to the key quantities in characterising a packing of particles, accessible through a novel experimentation method which we also present here.

15 pages, 8 figures