Mechanism for granular segregation.

A process is described that produces horizontal size segregation in a vertically vibrated layer of granular material. The behavior is a consequence of two distinct phenomena that are unique to excited granular media: vibration, which causes the large particles to rise to the top of the layer, and a vibrating base with a sawtooth surface profile, which can produce stratified flows in opposite directions at different heights within the layer. The result of combining these effects is that large and small particles are horizontally driven in opposite directions. The observations reported here are based on computer simulations of granular models in two and three dimensions.