Shear zone refraction and deflection in layered granular materials.
Refraction and deflection of shear zones in layered granular materials were studied experimentally and numerically. We show that (i) according to a recent theoretical prediction [T. Unger, Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 018301 (2007)] shear zones refract in layered systems in analogy with light refraction, (ii) zone refraction obeys Snell's law known from geometric optics, and (iii) under natural pressure conditions (i.e., in the presence of gravity) the zone can also be deflected by the interface, so that the deformation of the high friction material is avoided.
Börzsönyi
Tamás
T
Research Institute for Solid State Physics and Optics, PO Box 49, H-1525 Budapest, Hungary. btamas@szfki.hu
Unger
Tamás
T
Szabó
Balázs
B
D003198:Computer Simulation; D008956:Models, Chemical; D012031:Refractometry / Q000379:methods*; D033081:Shear Strength