Efficient energy transfer and redirection in weakly interacting granular lens

One of the main challenging tasks in the modern design of highly adaptive granular material is in ability to passively control the flow of energy through it by means of trapping, redirection and scattering. In the present work we demonstrate that one of the possible mechanisms to achieve efficient control over the propagating shock wave in the material is the usage of weakly interacting, non-compressed granular lens (granular chains). In the latest computational studies we have demonstrated that the shock waves initially localized on a finite amount of chains may be efficiently redirected to the neighboring granular chains. In this study it is also shown that the amplitude of the shock wave redirected to the neighboring chains may be passively controlled by choosing appropriate parameters of coupling which makes this type of granular structure highly adaptive for the required control of mechanical energy flow. The mechanism for efficient transport of energy from one chain to another are also found. It corresponds to a simple exchange of energy between the weakly interacting granular chains providing equi-partition of Nesterenko solitary waves through the chains. This mechanism of energy transfer and redirection in highly nonlinear granular chains are conceptually new. Analytical and computational studies of all the mechanisms are performed in the present study.