Mean-field approach for random close packings of non-spherical and adhesive particles

Random packings of objects of a particular shape are ubiquitous in science and engineering. However, such jammed matter states have eluded any systematic theoretical treatment due to the strong positional and orientational correlations involved. Here, a mean field theory based on a statistical treatment of the Voronoi volume is presented, which allows for the calculation of the random close packing of spherical as well as non-spherical hard particles. The extension of the framework to packings of adhesive particles is discussed. A phase diagram is presented that describes non-spherical and adhesive particles in terms of analytic continuations from the spherical random close packing.