title: Anomalous wave reflection at the interface of two strongly nonlinear granular media.
abstract: Granular materials exhibit a strongly nonlinear behavior affecting the propagation of energy and information. Dynamically self-organized strongly nonlinear solitary waves are the main information carriers in granular chains. We report the first experimental observation of the dramatic change of solitary wave reflectivity from the interface of two granular media triggered by a magnetically induced precompression. It may be appropriate to name this phenomenon the "acoustic diode" effect. We explain this effect by the high gradient of particle velocity near the interface.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0411, USA.
authors.forename: V F
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Nesterenko
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Daraio
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Herbold
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D003102:Colloids / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D008956:Models, Chemical; D009038:Motion; D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics; D011208:Powders / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D003102:Colloids; D011208:Powders