Mark Huber Publications

Force distributions in a triagonal lattice of rigid bars
B. P. Tighe, J. E.S. Socolar, D.G. Schaeffer, W. G. Mitchener, and M. L. Huber, Physical Review E, vol. 72 no. 031306 (2005), APS Journals [e031306].

Abstract: We study the uniformly weighted ensemble of force balanced configurations on a triangular network of nontensile contact forces. For periodic boundary conditions corresponding to isotropic compressive stress, we find that the probability distribution for single-contact forces decays faster than exponentially. This superexponential decay persists in lattices diluted to the rigidity percolation threshold. On the other hand, for anisotropic imposed stresses, a broader tail emerges in the force distribution, becoming a pure exponential in the limit of infinite lattice size and infinitely strong anisotropy.