Science Daily  March 24, 2022 While it has been known that individual particle distribution influences yield point, or flow, in disordered materials, it has been challenging to study this phenomenon since the field lacks ways to “quantify” disorder in such materials. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania tracked individual particles on top of a liquid-air interface. Then, they used a magnetic needle that moves back and forth to apply a shearing force. With this system, the researchers can systematically apply forces to 50,000 particles, track their detailed movement, and use complex image analysis to see if two neighboring particles remain […]