Spiral patterns in the packing of flexible structures.
Spiral patterns are found to be a generic feature in close-packed elastic structures. We describe model experiments of compaction of quasi-1D sheets into quasi-2D containers that allow simultaneous quantitative measurements of mechanical forces and observation of folded configurations. Our theoretical approach shows how the interplay between elasticity and geometry leads to a succession of bifurcations responsible for the emergence of such patterns. Both experimental forces and shapes are also reproduced without any adjustable parameters.
Boué
L
L
Laboratoire de Physique Statistique de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, 24 Rue Lhomond, Paris Cedex 05, France.
Adda-Bedia
M
M
Boudaoud
A
A
Cassani
D
D
Couder
Y
Y
Eddi
A
A
Trejo
M
M
D004548:Elasticity; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D008968:Molecular Conformation