A Simple Model for Sheared Granular Layers

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We phenomenologically investigate stick-slip motion of sheared granular layers. Our phenomenology is constructed in the context of nucleation-and-growth of the fluidized area which is triggered by collapsing of stress chains. Based on this picture, we give a simple friction model by introducing the degree of the fluidization. It is found that the present model can successfully reproduce major features of the experimental results reported by Nasuno et al. (Phys. Rev. E 58, 2161 (1998)) with quantitatively good agreement.