Impurity in a Maxwellian unforced granular fluid

We investigate velocity statistics of an impurity immersed in a uniform granular fluid. We consider the cooling phase, and obtain scaling solutions of the inelastic Maxwell model analytically. First, we analyze identical fluid-fluid and fluid-impurity collision rates. We show that light impurities have similar velocity statistics as the fluid background, although their temperature is generally different. Asymptotically, the temperature ratio increases with the impurity mass, and it diverges at some critical mass. Impurities heavier than this critical mass essentially scatter off a static fluid background. We then analyze an improved inelastic Maxwell model with collision rates that are proportional to the average fluid-fluid and fluid-impurity relative velocities. Here, the temperature ratio remains finite, and the system is always in the light-impurity phase. Nevertheless, ratios of sufficiently high-order moments / may diverge, a consequence of the multiscaling asymptotic behavior.     

Impurity in a Maxwellian unforced granular fluid

The European Physical Journal E - We investigate velocity statistics of an impurity immersed in a uniform granular fluid. We consider the cooling phase, and obtain scaling solutions of the...     

Crystallization of a quasi-two-dimensional granular fluid

We experimentally investigate the crystallization of a uniformly heated quasi-2D granular fluid as a function of the filling fraction. Our experimental results for the Lindemann melting criterion, the radial distribution function, the bond order parameter, and the statistics of topological changes at the particle level are the same as those found in simulations of equilibrium hard disks. This direct mapping suggests that the study of equilibrium systems can be effectively applied to study nonequilibrium steady states such as those found in our driven and dissipative granular system.     

Contact dynamics in a gently vibrated granular pile

We use multispeckle diffusive wave spectroscopy to probe the micron-scale dynamics of a water-saturated granular pile submitted to discrete gentle taps. The typical time scale between plastic events is found to increase dramatically with the number of applied taps. Furthermore, this microscopic dynamics weakly depends on the solid fraction of the sample. This process is largely analogous to the aging phenomenon observed in thermal glassy systems. We propose a heuristic model where this slowing-down mechanism is associated with a slow evolution of the distribution of the contact forces between particles. This model accounts for the main features of the observed dynamics.     

Collisional granular flow as a micropolar fluid

We show that a micropolar fluid model successfully describes collisional granular flows on a slope. A micropolar fluid is the fluid with internal structures in which coupling between the spin of each particle and the macroscopic velocity field is taken into account. It is a hydrodynamical framework suitable for granular systems which consists of particles with macroscopic size. We demonstrate that the model equations can quantitatively reproduce the velocity and the angular velocity profiles obtained from the numerical simulation of the collisional granular flow on a slope using a simple estimate for the parameters in the theory.     

Stochastic dynamics of a sheared granular medium

We experimentally investigate the response of a sheared granular medium in a Couette geometry. The apparatus exhibits the expected stick-slip motion and we probe it in the very intermittent regime resulting from low driving. Statistical analysis of the dynamic fluctuations reveals notable regularities. We observe a possible stability property for the torque distribution, reminiscent of the stability of Gaussian independent variables. In this case, however, the variables are correlated and the distribution is skewed. Moreover, the whole dynamical intermittent regime can be described with a simple stochastic model, finding good quantitative agreement with the experimental data. Interestingly, a similar model has been previously introduced in the study of magnetic domain wall motion, a source of Barkhausen noise. Our study suggests interesting connections between different complex phenomena and reveals some unexpected features that remain to be explained.     

Critical behavior of a heavy particle in a granular fluid

A second order phase transition is observed for the homogeneous cooling state of a heavy impurity particle in a granular fluid. The order parameter straight phi is the ratio of impurity mean square velocity to that of the fluid, with a conjugate field h proportional to the mass ratio. A parameter beta, measuring the fluid cooling rate relative to the impurity-fluid collision rate, is the analog of the inverse temperature. For beta<1 the fluid is "normal" with straight phi = 0 at h = 0, as in the case of elastic collisions. For beta>1 an "ordered" state with straight phi not equal0 occurs at h = 0, representing an extreme breakdown of equipartition. Critical slowing and qualitative changes in the velocity distribution function near the transition are noted.     

Noise activated granular dynamics

We study the behavior of two particles moving in a bistable potential, colliding inelastically with each other and driven by a stochastic heat bath. The system has the tendency to clusterize, placing the particles in the same well at low drivings, and to fill all of the available space at high temperatures. We show that the hopping over the potential barrier occurs following the Arrhenius rate, where the heat bath temperature is replaced by the granular temperature. Moreover, within the clusterized "phase" one encounters two different scenarios: For moderate inelasticity, the jumps from one well to the other involve one particle at a time, whereas for strong inelasticity the two particles hop simultaneously.     

Numerical simulation of the sedimentation of a sphere in a sheared granular fluid: a granular Stokes experiment

We study, computationally, the sedimentation of a sphere of higher mass in a steady, gravity-driven granular flow of otherwise identical spheres, on a rough inclined plane. Taking a hydrodynamic approach at the scale of the particle, we find the drag force to be given by a modified Stokes law and the buoyancy force by the Archimedes principle, with excluded volume effects taken into account. We also find significant differences between the hydrodynamic case and the granular case, which are highlighted.     

Universal slow dynamics in granular solids

Experimental properties of a new form of creep dynamics are reported, as manifest in a variety of sandstones, limestone, and concrete. The creep is a recovery behavior, following the sharp drop in elastic modulus induced either by nonlinear acoustic straining or rapid temperature change. The extent of modulus recovery is universally proportional to the logarithm of the time after source discontinuation in all samples studied, over a scaling regime covering at least 10(3) s. Comparison of acoustically and thermally induced creep suggests a single origin based on internal strain, which breaks the symmetry of the inducing source.     

Temporally heterogeneous dynamics in granular flows

Granular simulations are used to probe the particle scale dynamics at short, intermediate, and long time scales for gravity-driven, dense granular flows down an inclined plane. On approach to the angle of repose, where motion ceases, the dynamics become intermittent over intermediate times, with strong temporal correlations between particle motions-temporally heterogeneous dynamics. This intermittency is characterized through large-scale structural events whereby the contact network periodically spans the system. A characteristic time scale associated with these processes increases as the stopped state is approached. These features are discussed in the context of the dynamics of supercooled liquids near the glass transition.     

Particle dynamics in sheared granular matter

The particle dynamics and shear forces of granular matter in a Couette geometry are determined experimentally. The normalized tangential velocity V(y) declines strongly with distance y from the moving wall, independent of the shear rate and of the shear dynamics. Local rms velocity fluctuations deltaV(y) scale with the local velocity gradient to the power 0.4+/-0.05. These results agree with a locally Newtonian, continuum model, where the granular medium is assumed to behave as a liquid with a local temperature [deltaV(y)](2) and density dependent viscosity.     

Avalanche dynamics in wet granular materials

We have studied the dynamics of avalanching wet granular media in a rotating drum apparatus. Quantitative measurements of the flow velocity and the granular flux during avalanches allow us to characterize novel avalanche types unique to wet media. We also explore the details of viscoplastic flow (observed at the highest liquid contents) in which there are lasting contacts during flow, leading to coherence across the entire sample. This coherence leads to a velocity-independent flow depth at high rotation rates and novel robust pattern formation in the granular surface.     

Gas-mediated impact dynamics in fine-grained granular materials

Noncohesive granular media exhibit complex responses to sudden impact that often differ from those of ordinary solids and liquids. We investigate how this response is mediated by the presence of interstitial gas between the grains. Using high-speed x-ray radiography we track the motion of a steel sphere through the interior of a bed of fine, loose granular material. We find a crossover from nearly incompressible, fluidlike behavior at atmospheric pressure to a highly compressible, dissipative response once most of the gas is evacuated. We discuss these results in light of recent proposals for the drag force in granular media.     

Time resolved particle dynamics in granular convection

We present an experimental study of the movement of individual particles in a layer of vertically shaken granular material. High-speed imaging allows us to investigate the motion of beads within one vibration period. This motion consists mainly of vertical jumps, and a global ordered drift. The analysis of the system movement as a whole reveals that the observed bifurcation in the flight time is not adequately described by the Inelastic Bouncing Ball Model. Near the bifurcation point, friction plays an important role, and the branches of the bifurcation do not diverge as the control parameter is increased. By fitting the grains trajectories near the wall it is possible to quantify the effective acceleration acting on them. A comparison of the mass centre flying time and the flying time determined for the grains near the wall exposes the underlying mechanism that causes the downward flow.     

Structures and non-equilibrium dynamics in granular media

In granular media, dissipation leads to interesting phenomena like cluster formation in non-equilibrium dynamical states. As an example, the freely cooling system is examined concerning the energy decay and the cluster evolution with time. Furthermore, the probability distribution of the collision frequency is discussed. Uncorrelated events lead to a Poisson distribution for the collision frequencies in the homogeneous system, whereas cooperative phenomena can be related to a power-law decay of the collision probability per unit time. To cite this article: S. Luding, C. R. Physique 3 (2002) 153–161.     

The dynamics of multiparticle collisions in motion of a granular material

We consider the complex problem of how to calculate particle motions taking into account multiparticle collisions. Multiparticle contacts occur when a particle collides with neighbouring particles, so that those contacts have a direct influence on each other. We will focus on the molecular dynamics method. Particularly, we will analyse what happens in cohesive materials during multiparticle contacts. We investigated the expression of repulsive force formulated under fractional calculus which is able to control dynamically the transfer and dissipation of energy in granular media. Such approach allows to perform simulations of arbitrary multiparticle collisions and also granular cohesion dynamics.     

运动物体在颗粒物质中的动力学过程及最大穿透深度仿真研究

利用离散元法仿真了运动物体在颗粒物质中的三维动力学过程, 仿真采用周期边界条件, 并考虑了重力、接触力、阻尼力、摩擦力的影响. 将仿真结果和相关的三维实验结果进行了对比, 两者符合较好. 仿真结果表明穿透深度与运动物体的冲击速度、运动物体质量、颗粒介质床的密度均有关系. 运动物体质量越大, 速度越快, 则穿透越深, 而且穿透深度和质量呈线性关系. 仿真过程较为真实地再现了小颗粒的飞溅现象. 关键词： 颗粒物质 动力学过程 仿真 离散元法