Evolution of Triangle Decomposition During Jamming*

We use simulations of soft 2D bidisperse disks to determine the properties of jammed packings and investigate the statistical mechanics of these systems. We have created a novel method for the classification of structural subunits of a packing and use the subunits to calculate relevant physical quantities. The classification scheme is based on a 20 type decomposition of the Delaunay triangles extracted from the centers of the particles. The distribution of triangle types evolve as systems are jammed by compression or as they are sheared. We analyze the statistics of the triangle types and identify specific transition events during compression, jamming, and shear.