Intruders size-segregating under oscillating shear flows.

Granular geophysical flows are composed by particles of different sizes that segregate under the action of gravity and shear-induced dilatancy. Size segregation is the physical process by which small particle percolate through gaps left by the relative movement of grains (kinetic sieving) and posterior ascent of large particles, squeezed upwards by surrounding small particles (squeeze expulsion). The development of simple continuum models for particle-size segregation has provided a better understanding, nevertheless determining the functional dependance of the segregation rates remains as a challenge. The present work investigates particle-size segregation through simple shear experiments of bidisperse granular materials.