Glass transition in granular media

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Abstract
In the framework of schematic hard-spheres lattice models for granular media we investigate the phenomenon of the jamming transition. In particular, using Edwards' approach, by analytical calculations at a mean-field level, we derive the system phase diagram and show that jamming corresponds to a phase transition from a fluid to a glassy phase, observed when crystallization is avoided. Interestingly, the nature of such a glassy phase turns out to be the same found in mean-field models for glass formers.