On the origins of reverse Janssen effect

Abstract

We consider experimentally and computationally the phenomenon of the reverse Janssen effect, involving the counterintuitive finding that the force on the base of a column containing granular particles may be larger than the weight of the granular material itself. This finding is in contrast to the common Janssen effect, for which the force on the base is smaller than the particle weight, illustrating one of the best-known differences between granular and liquid systems. We find that the reverse Janssen effect is strongly influenced by the pouring protocol: under Earth's gravitational field, we find that the reverse Janssen effect is strongly and consistently influenced by the pouring height, as well as by (to somewhat lesser degree) pouring flux. Pouring grains from the height measured in tens of particle diameters leads to a reverse Janssen effect that is an order of magnitude stronger than the one found for small pouring heights of few particle diameters. This influence of the particles' delivery protocol allows for the development of a better understanding of the general features of the reverse Janssen effect and of the comparison between experiments and simulations reported in this and previous works.