Inelasticity-induced segregation: Why it matters, when it matters

Differences in particles' elastic properties may significantly affect the behaviours of granular systems containing two or more distinct components, most notably by causing the spatial separation of these differing particle species. Despite this fact, inelasticity-induced segregation is often overlooked in contemporary literature; in some instances, the lack of consideration of particle elasticity is justified, although in others it is possible that the ignorance of the role of elasticity may adversely affect the analysis of segregative behaviours in granular mixtures. In this letter, we use a combination of theoretical, experimental and simulational analysis to determine the ranges of parameter space for which differences in particle elasticity may be safely neglected, and those for which they cannot be ignored. Copyright (C) EPLA, 2014