Random close-packed hard-sphere model. II. Geometry of random packing of hard spheres

Abstract

A preliminary Voronoi polyhedron analysis of a random model has enabled an accurate fixing of the density of random close-packing. A wide variation (∼15 % of the density of closest regular packing) in local density is found, correlated with various topological types of polyhedra. The suspected predominance of 5-sided faces is verified, while the average number of faces per polyhedron, and the average number of sides per face, are a few per cent greater than the theoretical predictions of Coxeter. Much data remain still to be analyzed for both physical and computer models.