Explorative Analysis of Dynamic Force Networks in 2D Photoelastic Disks Ensembles.

Farhan Rasheed, Abrar Naseer, Talha Bin Masood, Tejas G. Murthy, Vijay Natarajan, and Ingrid Hotz.
IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, 2026, In Press.

Abstract

This paper presents an interactive analysis framework for exploring data from photoelastic disk experiments, which serve as a model for two-dimensional granular materials. Granular materials, composed of discrete particles such as sand or gravel, exhibit behaviors resembling fluid or solid states depending on the system configuration. These behaviors arise from interparticle contact forces, which form complex force networks that govern the material's macroscopic behavior. Our framework is specifically designed to analyze such 2D ensembles of dynamic force networks, enabling the identification and characterization of their underlying structures. The framework is built around a topology-based, multiscale data segmentation in terms of force chains and cycles. The analysis methods are structured across three levels: (1) multiscale analysis of individual instances under specific loading conditions, (2) detailed exploration of single experiments encompassing a series of loading and unloading cycles, and (3) comparative analysis across experiments conducted under similar and differing setups. We demonstrate the capabilities of our framework with a case study for each of these levels.

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