Jam-packed: A novel microscopic approach to amorphous solids
(PHYSorg.com Physics)

A team led by The University of Tokyo developed a new method for understanding the structural organization of disordered collections of soft discs or spheres using a new approach: putting a focus on local mechanical properties that is fundamentally different from previous approaches to ordered crystals and disordered amorphous solids. In particular, the researchers focused packings resulted from the phenomenon of `jamming,` in which a free-flowing substance suddenly clogs as the density increases. The work may help with the design of more efficient industrial materials that are less likely to breakdown under external load.