# Kovacs Memory Effect in a Thin Granular Layer: Experimental Evidence and Its Physical Origin

Source: [feeds.aps.org](http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/791d-2tx9) · 2026-11-10 · Physics
Page: https://themorning.science/story/kovacs-memory-effect-in-a-thin-granular-layer-experimental-evidence-and-its-phys-0a5c03cc5b6d572c
Kind: research · Impact: low

## In brief

- The anomalous Kovacs memory effect has been experimentally observed in a granular system for the first time.
- The study is reported in Physical Review Letters, volume 137, article 208201, by Francisco Vega Reyes, Álvaro Rodríguez-Rivas, Pablo Maynar and M. Isabel García de Soria.
- The paper presents experimental evidence and an analysis of the physical origin of the effect in a thin granular layer.

## Why it matters

It extends a memory effect previously studied in other systems to granular matter, giving physicists an experimental case for testing theories of non-equilibrium behaviour.

## Timeline

- 2026-11-10: Experimental evidence of the anomalous Kovacs effect in a thin granular layer published in Physical Review Letters

## Coverage

- [Kovacs Memory Effect in a Thin Granular Layer: Experimental Evidence and Its Physical Origin](http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/791d-2tx9) — feeds.aps.org, 2026-11-10

Tags: granular matter, kovacs effect, memory effect, non-equilibrium physics, statistical physics

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