Unifying approach to the jamming transition in granular media and the glass transition in thermal systems

We discuss some recent results on Statistical Mechanics approach to dense granular media. In particular, by analytical mean field investigation we derive the phase diagram of monodisperse and bydisperse granular assemblies. We show that "jamming" corresponds to a phase transition from a "fluid" to a "glassy" phase, observed when crystallization is avoided. The nature of such a "glassy" phase turns out to be the same found in mean field models for glass formers. This gives quantitative evidence to the idea of a unified description of the "jamming" transition in granular media and thermal systems, such as glasses.