On the stability of the $μ(I)$-rheology for granular flow

Abstract: This article deals with the Hadamard instability of the so-called $\mu(I)$ model of dense rapidly-sheared granular flow, as reported recently by Barker et al. (2015,this journal, ${\bf 779}$, 794-818). The present paper presents a more comprehensive study of the linear stability of planar simple shearing and pure shearing flows, with account taken of convective Kelvin wave-vector stretching by the base flow. We provide a closed form solution for the linear stability problem and show that wave-vector stretching leads to asymptotic stabilization of the non-convective instability found by Barker et al. We also explore the stabilizing effects of higher velocity gradients achieved by an enhanced-continuum model based on a dissipative analog of the van der Waals-Cahn-Hilliard equation of equilibrium thermodynamics. This model involves a dissipative hyper-stress, as the analog of a special Korteweg stress, with surface viscosity representing the counterpart of elastic surface tension. Based on the enhanced continuum model, we also present a model of steady shear bands and their non-linear stability against parallel shearing. Finally, we propose a theoretical connection between the non-convective instability of Barker et al. and the loss of generalized ellipticity in the quasi-static field equations. Apart from the theoretical interest, the present work may suggest stratagems for the numerical simulation of continuum field equations involving the $\mu(I)$ rheology and variants thereof.