RANDOM PACKINGS OF SPHERES BUILT WITH SEQUENTIAL MODELS

Several models have been introduced to construct random packings of identical spheres. The packings are built on a horizontal basal layer using iterative sequential algorithms in which a new added sphere is always in contact with three other spheres in the packing. In the Bennet model the position with the lowest vertical coordinate is selected. In the 'anti-Bennet' model, only positions that are stable under gravity are considered, and that with the highest vertical coordinate is selected. In the Eden model the new sphere is selected at random among all the possiblities and, in the 'stable Eden' model, the random choice is limited to positions that are stable under gravity. In all cases, the density (packing fraction) is determined within an uncertainty of +/- 10(-4). The histogram for the number of contacts between spheres, the bond angle distribution and the distance distribution were also determined. The results are compared with corresponding ballistic model results