Influence of thermal convection on density segregation in a vibrated binary granular system

Using a combination of experimental results and discrete particle method simulations, the role of buoyancy-driven convection in the segregative behavior of a three-dimensional, binary granular system is investigated. A relationship between convective motion and segregation intensity is presented, and a qualitative explanation for this behavior is proposed. This study also provides an insight into the role of diffusive behavior in the segregation of a granular bed in the convective regime. The results of this work strongly imply the possibility that, for an adequately fluidized granular bed, the degree of segregation may be indirectly controlled through the adjustment of the system's driving parameters, or the dissipative properties of the system's side-boundaries.