Scientists at the theoretical institutes, Chinese Academy of Science and Cybermedia Center at Osaka University performed extensive computer simulations to generate and examine random packing of spheres. They show that the “jamming” transition, in which a free-flowing material becomes stuck, occurs with universal features despite the diversity of their details. This work may shed light on the physics of amorphous materials and optimization problems in computer science which are intimately related to the mathematics of sphere packings.
Click here for original story, Random close packing or jamming of spheres in a container
Source: Phys.org