Shear viscosity of a model for confined granular media

The shear viscosity in the dilute regime of a model for confined granular matter is studied by simulations and kinetic theory. The model consists on projecting into two dimensions the motion of vibrofluidized granular matter in shallow boxes by modifying the collision rule: besides the restitution coefficient that accounts for the energy dissipation, there is a separation velocity that is added in each collision in the normal direction. The two mechanisms balance on average, producing stationary homogeneous states. Molecular dynamics simulations show that in the steady state the distribution function departs from a Maxwellian, with cumulants that remain small in the whole range of inelasticities. The shear viscosity normalized with stationary temperature presents a clear dependence with the inelasticity, taking smaller values compared to the elastic case. A Boltzmann-like equation is built and analyzed using linear response theory. It is found that the predictions show an excellent agreement with the simulations when the correct stationary distribution is used but a Maxwellian approximation fails in predicting the inelasticity dependence of the viscosity. These results confirm that transport coefficients depend strongly on the mechanisms that drive them to stationary states.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure; Accepted in Phys. Rev.

Effective two-dimensional model for granular matter with phase separation

Granular systems confined in vertically vibrated shallow horizontal boxes (quasi two-dimensional geometry) present a liquid to solid phase transition when the frequency of the periodic forcing is increased. An effective model, where grains move and collide in two-dimensions is presented, which reproduces the aforementioned phase transition. The key element is that besides the two-dimensional degrees of freedom, each grain has an additional variable $\epsilon$ that accounts for the kinetic energy stored in the vertical motion in the real quasi two-dimensional motion. This energy grows monotonically during free flight, mimicking the energy gain by collisions with the vibrating walls and, at collisions, this energy is instantaneously transferred to the horizontal degrees of freedom. As a result, the average values of $\epsilon$ and the kinetic temperature are decreasing functions of the local density, giving rise to an effective pressure that can present van der Waals loops. A kinetic theory approach predicts the conditions that must satisfy the energy grow function to obtain the phase separation, which are verified with molecular dynamics simulations. Notably, the effective equation of state and the critical points computed considering the velocity--time-of-flight correlations differ only slightly from those obtained by simple kinetic theory calculations that neglect those correlations

Effective two-dimensional model for granular matter with phase separation

Granular systems confined in vertically vibrated shallow horizontal boxes (quasi two-dimensional geometry) present a liquid to solid phase transition when the frequency of the periodic forcing is increased. An effective model, where grains move and collide in two-dimensions is presented, which reproduces the aforementioned phase transition. The key element is that besides the two-dimensional degrees of freedom, each grain has an additional variable $\epsilon$ that accounts for the kinetic energy stored in the vertical motion in the real quasi two-dimensional motion. This energy grows monotonically during free flight, mimicking the energy gain by collisions with the vibrating walls and, at collisions, this energy is instantaneously transferred to the horizontal degrees of freedom. As a result, the average values of $\epsilon$ and the kinetic temperature are decreasing functions of the local density, giving rise to an effective pressure that can present van der Waals loops. A kinetic theory approach predicts the conditions that must satisfy the energy grow function to obtain the phase separation, which are verified with molecular dynamics simulations. Notably, the effective equation of state and the critical points computed considering the velocity--time-of-flight correlations differ only slightly from those obtained by simple kinetic theory calculations that neglect those correlations

Sudden chain energy transfer events in vibrated granular media

In a mixture of two species of grains of equal size but different mass, placed in a vertically vibrated shallow box, there is spontaneous segregation. Once the system is at least partly segregated and clusters of the heavy particles have formed, there are sudden peaks of the horizontal kinetic energy of the heavy particles, that is otherwise small. Together with the energy peaks the clusters rapidly expand and the segregation is partially lost. The process repeats once segregation has taken place again. Depending on the experimental or numerical parameters, the energy bursts can occur either randomly or with some regularity in time. An explanation for these events is provided based on the existence of a fixed point for an isolated particle bouncing with only vertical motion. The horizontal energy peaks occur when the energy stored in the vertical motion is partly transferred into horizontal energy through a chain reaction of collisions between heavy particles. A necessary condition for the observed regularity of the events is that chain reactions involve most of the heavy particles.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, Physical Review Letters (accepted

Hydrodynamic theory for granular gases

A granular gas subjected to a permanent injection of energy is described by means of hydrodynamic equations derived from a moment expansion method. The method uses as reference function not a Maxwellian distribution $f_{\sf M}$ but a distribution $f_0 = \Phi f_{\sf M}$, such that $\Phi$ adds a fourth cumulant $\kappa$ to the velocity distribution. The formalism is applied to a stationary conductive case showing that the theory fits extraordinarily well the results coming from our molecular dynamic simulations once we determine $\kappa$ as a function of the inelasticity of the particle-particle collisions. The shape of $\kappa$ is independent of the size $N$ of the system.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, more about our research in http://www.cec.uchile.cl/cinetica

Thermal convection in fluidized granular systems

Thermal convection is observed in molecular dynamic simulation of a fluidized granular system of nearly elastic hard disks moving under gravity, inside a rectangular box. Boundaries introduce no shearing or time dependence, but the energy injection comes from a slip (shear-free) thermalizing base. The top wall is perfectly elastic and lateral boundaries are either elastic or periodic. The observed convection comes from the effect of gravity and the spontaneous granular temperature gradient that the system dynamically develops.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure