Demixing can occur in binary hard-sphere mixtures with negative non-additivity

A binary fluid mixture of non-additive hard spheres characterized by a size ratio $\gamma=\sigma_2/\sigma_1<1$ and a non-additivity parameter $\Delta=2\sigma_{12}/(\sigma_1+\sigma_2)-1$ is considered in infinitely many dimensions. From the equation of state in the second virial approximation (which is exact in the limit $d\to\infty$) a demixing transition with a critical consolute point at a packing fraction scaling as $\eta\sim d 2^{-d}$ is found, even for slightly negative non-additivity, if $\Delta>-{1/8}(\ln\gamma)^2$. Arguments concerning the stability of the demixing with respect to freezing are provided.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures; title changed; final paragraph added; to be published in PRE as a Rapid Communicatio

Computer simulation of uniformly heated granular fluids

Direct Monte Carlo simulations of the Enskog-Boltzmann equation for a spatially uniform system of smooth inelastic spheres are performed. In order to reach a steady state, the particles are assumed to be under the action of an external driving force which does work to compensate for the collisional loss of energy. Three different types of external driving are considered: (a) a stochastic force, (b) a deterministic force proportional to the particle velocity and (c) a deterministic force parallel to the particle velocity but constant in magnitude. The Enskog-Boltzmann equation in case (b) is fully equivalent to that of the homogeneous cooling state (where the thermal velocity monotonically decreases with time) when expressed in terms of the particle velocity relative to the thermal velocity. Comparison of the simulation results for the fourth cumulant and the high energy tail with theoretical predictions derived in cases (a) and (b) [T. P. C. van Noije and M. H. Ernst, Gran. Matt. 1, 57 (1998)] shows a good agreement. In contrast to these two cases, the deviation from the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution is not well represented by Sonine polynomials in case (c), even for low dissipation. In addition, the high energy tail exhibits an underpopulation effect in this case.Comment: 18 pages (LaTex), 10 figures (eps); to be published in Granular Matte

DSMC evaluation of the Navier-Stokes shear viscosity of a granular fluid

A method based on the simple shear flow modified by the introduction of a deterministic non-conservative force and a stochastic process is proposed to measure the Navier-Stokes shear viscosity in a granular fluid described by the Enskog equation. The method is implemented in DSMC simulations for a wide range of values of dissipation and density. It is observed that, after a certain transient period, the system reaches a hydrodynamic stage which tends to the Navier-Stokes regime for long times. The results are compared with theoretical predictions obtained from the Chapman-Enskog method in the leading Sonine approximation, showing quite a good agreement, even for strong dissipation.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures; to appear in Rarefied Gas Dynamics: 24th International Symposium (AIP Conference Proceedings

Spatial Coherence Resonance near Pattern-Forming Instabilities

The analogue of temporal coherence resonance for spatial degrees of freedom is reported. Specifically, we show that spatiotemporal noise is able to optimally extract an intrinsic spatial scale in nonlinear media close to (but before) a pattern-forming instability. This effect is observed in a model of pattern-forming chemical reaction and in the Swift-Hohenberg model of fluid convection. In the latter case, the phenomenon is described analytically via an approximate approach.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Classification of Energy Momentum Tensors in n≥5n \geq 5 Dimensional Space-times: a Review

Recent developments in string theory suggest that there might exist extra spatial dimensions, which are not small nor compact. The framework of a great number of brane cosmological models is that in which the matter fields are confined on a brane-world embedded in five dimensions (the bulk). Motivated by this we review the main results on the algebraic classification of second order symmetric tensors in 5-dimensional space-times. All possible Segre types for a symmetric two-tensor are found, and a set of canonical forms for each Segre type is obtained. A limiting diagram for the Segre types of these symmetric tensors in 5-D is built. Two theorems which collect together some basic results on the algebraic structure of second order symmetric tensors in 5-D are presented. We also show how one can obtain, by induction, the classification and the canonical forms of a symmetric two-tensor on n-dimensional (n > 5) spaces from its classification in 5-D spaces, present the Segre types in n-D and the corresponding canonical forms. This classification of symmetric two-tensors in any n-D spaces and their canonical forms are important in the context of n-dimensional brane-worlds context and also in the framework of 11-D supergravity and 10-D superstrings.Comment: LaTex2e, 18 pages. To appear in Braz.J.Phys (2004