Dense random packing with a power-law size distribution: The structure factor, mass–radius relation, and pair distribution function

Abstract

We consider a dense random packing of disks with a power-law distribution of radii and investigate their correlation properties. We study the corresponding structure factor, mass–radius relation, and pair distribution function of the disk centers. A toy model of dense segments in one dimension (1D) is solved exactly. It is shown theoretically in 1D and numerically in 1D and 2D that such a packing exhibits fractal properties. It is found that the exponent of the power-law distribution and the fractal dimension coincide. An approximate relation for the structure factor in arbitrary dimensions is derived, which can be used as a fitting formula in small-angle scattering. These findings can be useful for understanding the microstructural properties of various systems such as ultra-high performance concrete, high-internal-phase-ratio emulsions, or biological systems.