No Arabic abstract
We investigate the dynamics of an intruder pulled by a constant force in a dense two-dimensional granular fluid by means of event-driven molecular dynamics simulations. In a first step, we show how a propagating momentum front develops and compactifies the system when reflected by the boundaries. To be closer to recent experiments cite{candelier2010journey,candelier2009creep}, we then add a frictional force acting on each particle, proportional to the particles velocity. We show how to implement frictional motion in an event-driven simulation. This allows us to carry out extensive numerical simulations aiming at the dependence of the intruders velocity on packing fraction and pulling force. We identify a linear relation for small and a nonlinear regime for high pulling forces and investigate the dependence of these regimes on granular temperature.
A solution of the inelastic Enskog equation that goes beyond the weak dissipation limit and applies for moderate densities is used to determine the thermal diffusion factor of an intruder immersed in a dense granular gas under gravity. This factor provides a segregation criterion that shows the transition between the Brazil-nut effect (BNE) and the reverse Brazil-nut effect (RBNE) by varying the parameters of the system (masses, sizes, density and coefficients of restitution). The form of the phase-diagrams for the BNE/RBNE transition depends sensitively on the value of gravity relative to the thermal gradient, so that it is possible to switch between both states for given values of the parameters of the system. Two specific limits are considered with detail: (i) absence of gravity, and (ii) homogeneous temperature. In the latter case, after some approximations, our results are consistent with previous theoretical results derived from the Enskog equation. Our results also indicate that the influence of dissipation on thermal diffusion is more important in the absence of gravity than in the opposite limit. The present analysis extends previous theoretical results derived in the dilute limit case [V. Garzo, Europhys. Lett. {bf 75}, 521 (2006)] and is consistent with the findings of some recent experimental results.
The terminology granular matter refers to systems with a large number of hard objects (grains) of mesoscopic size ranging from millimeters to meters. Geological examples include desert sand and the rocks of a landslide. But the scope of such systems is much broader, including powders and snow, edible products such a seeds and salt, medical products like pills, and extraterrestrial systems such as the surface regolith of Mars and the rings of Saturn. The importance of a fundamental understanding for granular matter properties can hardly be overestimated. Practical issues of current concern range from disaster mitigation of avalanches and explosions of grain silos to immense economic consequences within the pharmaceutical industry. In addition, they are of academic and conceptual importance as well as examples of systems far from equilibrium. Under many conditions of interest, granular matter flows like a normal fluid. In the latter case such flows are accurately described by the equations of hydrodynamics. Attention is focused here on the possibility for a corresponding hydrodynamic description of granular flows. The tools of nonequilibrium statistical mechanics, developed over the past fifty years for fluids composed of atoms and molecules, are applied here to a system of grains for a fundamental approach to both qualitative questions and practical quantitative predictions. The nonlinear Navier-Stokes equations and expressions for the associated transport coefficients are obtained.
We report a new lift force model for intruders in dense, granular shear flows. Our derivation is based on the thermal buoyancy model of Trujillo & Hermann[L. Trujillo and H. J. Herrmann, Physica A 330, 519 (2003).], but takes into account both granular temperature and pressure differences in the derivation of the net buoyancy force acting on the intruder. In a second step the model is extended to take into account also density differences between the intruder and the bed particles. The model predicts very well the rising and sinking of intruders, the lift force acting on intruders as determined by discrete element model (DEM) simulations and the neutral-buoyancy limit of intruders in shear flows. Phenomenologically, we observe a cooling upon the introduction of an intruder into the system. This cooling effect increases with intruder size and explains the sinking of large intruders. On the other hand, the introduction of small to mid-sized intruders, i.e. up to 4 times the bed particle size, leads to a reduction in the granular pressure compared to the hydrostatic pressure, which in turn causes the rising of small to mid-sized intruders.
We use event driven simulations to analyze glassy dynamics as a function of density and energy dissipation in a two-dimensional bidisperse granular fluid under stationary conditions. Clear signatures of a glass transition are identified, such as an increase of relaxation times over several orders of magnitude. As the inelasticity is increased, the glass transition is shifted to higher densities and the precursors of the transition become less and less pronounced -- in agreement with a recent mode-coupling theory. We analyze the long-time tails of the velocity autocorrelation and discuss its consequences for the nonexistence of the diffusion constant in two dimensions.
The spontaneous symmetry breaking taking place in the direction perpendicular to the energy flux in a dilute vibrofluidized granular system is investigated, using both a hydrodynamic description and simulation methods. The latter include molecular dynamics and direct Monte Carlo simulation of the Boltzmann equation. A marginal stability analysis of the hydrodynamic equations, carried out in the WKB approximation, is shown to be in good agreement with the simulation results. The shape of the hydrodynamic profiles beyond the bifurcation is discussed.