Controlling the coarsening dynamics of ferrogranular networks by means of a vertical magnetic field

We are exploring in experiments the aggregation process in a shaken granular mixture of glass and magnetized steel beads, filled in a horizontal vessel, after the shaking amplitude is suddenly decreased. Then the magnetized beads form a transient network that coarsens in time into compact clusters, resembling a viscoelastic phase separation [Tanaka, J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 12, R207 (2000)0953-898410.1088/0953-8984/12/15/201], where attached beads represent the slow phase. Here we investigate how a homogeneous magnetic field oriented in vertical direction impedes the emergence and growth of the networks. With increasing field amplitude this phase is replaced by a fluctuating arrangement of repelling, isolated steel beads. The experimental results are compared with those of computer simulations. Coarse-grained molecular dynamics confirms the impact of an applied magnetic field on the structural transitions and allows us to investigate long-time regimes and magnetic response not yet accessible in the experiment. It turns out that an applied magnetic field has different impacts, depending on it strength. It can be used either to slow down the dynamics of the structural transitions without changing the type of the resulting phases and only affecting the amount and sizes of clusters, or to fully impede the formation of network-like and compact aggregates of steel beads.