1.
Phys Rev Lett
; 90(19): 194301, 2003 May 16.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-12785950
ABSTRACT
We report on craters formed by balls dropped into dry, noncohesive, granular media. By explicit variation of ball density rho(b), diameter D(b), and drop height H, the crater diameter is confirmed to scale as the 1/4 power of the energy of the ball at impact: D(c) approximately equal (rho(b)D(3)(b)H)(1/4). Against expectation, a different scaling law is discovered for the crater depth: d approximately equal (rho(3/2)(b)D(2)(b)H)(1/3). The scaling with properties of the medium is also established. The crater depth has significance for granular mechanics in that it relates to the stopping force on the ball.