Dense, collisional, shearing flows of compliant spheres

We outline the development of theory to describe, dense, collisional shearing flows of identical compliant spheres. We begin with two simple theories: one for rigid, nearly elastic spheres that interact through instantaneous, binary collisions; the other for compliant spheres that interact through multiple, enduring contacts. We then join the two extremes by adding compliance to the collisions and collisions to the spheres in enduring contact. Finally, we compare the predictions of the resulting theory with the results of discrete numerical simulations of steady, homogeneous shearing of compliant frictional spheres.