title: Reverse Brazil nut problem: competition between percolation and condensation.
abstract: In the Brazil nut problem (BNP), hard spheres with larger diameters rise to the top. There are various explanations (percolation, reorganization, convection), but a broad understanding or control of this effect is by no means achieved. A theory is presented for the crossover from BNP to the reverse Brazil nut problem based on a competition between the percolation effect and the condensation of hard spheres. The crossover condition is determined, and theoretical predictions are compared to molecular dynamics simulations in two and three dimensions.
authors.affiliation: Physics, Lewis Laboratory, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA.
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: P V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Luding