Well-posed continuum equations for granular flow with compressibility and $μ(I)$-rheology

Abstract: Continuum modelling of granular flow has been plagued with the issue of ill-posed equations for a long time. Equations for incompressible, two-dimensional flow based on the Coulomb friction law are ill-posed regardless of the deformation, whereas the rate-dependent $\mu(I)$-rheology is ill-posed when the non-dimensional strain-rate $I$ is too high or too low. Here, incorporating ideas from Critical-State Soil Mechanics, we derive conditions for well-posedness of PDEs that combine compressibility with $I$-dependent rheology. When the $I$-dependence comes from a specific friction coefficient $\mu(I)$, our results show that, with compressibility, the equations are well-posed for all deformation rates provided that $\mu(I)$ satisfies certain minimal, physically natural, inequalities.