ABSTRACT
The science of granular matter has a long history, with the classic contributions from Faraday (on pattern formation in granular materials) and Reynolds (on the dilatancy phenomenon). More recently the topic has attracted condensed matter physicists (Jaeger et al. 1996) and scientists studying complex systems (Bak et al. 1987), who have sought to study granular materials as models for more complex materials and phenomena.As such, granular materials have been typically studied either at the structural level (grain scale), or as a continuous medium to observe bulk properties. The goal has always been to bridge these two views, to explain the relationships between structure and property.
