The Interdisciplinary Nature of Particulate Systems

Particulate materials, like sand, ore or grain, are ubiquitous in Nature. And even more significantly, they are the second-most processed materials in industry, just after water. They may behave similar to a solid, a liquid or a gas, and—frequently—all of those simultaneously. In all cases their behavior is found to be surprisingly rich and complex. The exploration and understanding of the many new phenomena encountered in granular materials calls for a multidisciplinary approach that encompasses fields like chemical, civil and mechanical engineering, fluid mechanics, rheology, physics, applied mathematics, and earth and planetary sciences. This ninth GRC on Granular Matter will provide many opportunities for researchers from different fields to freely interact and discuss about new discoveries and recent progress focused around these multifaceted materials. The base for this interaction will be formed by poster sessions and plenary sessions where invited speakers and discussion leaders will stimulate discussion on topics at the forefront of the field.