Dilute Granular Gas Research Articles

Mobility and diffusion of intruders in granular suspensions: Einstein relation

The Enskog kinetic equation is considered to determine the diffusion D and mobility λ transport coefficients of intruders immersed in a granular gas of inelastic hard spheres (grains). Intruders and grains are in contact with a thermal bath, which plays the role of a background gas. As usual, the influence of the latter on the dynamics of intruders and grains is accounted for via a viscous drag force plus a stochastic Langevin-like term proportional to the background temperature T b. In this case, the starting kinetic equations are the Enskog and Enskog–Lorentz equations for grains and intruders, respectively, with the addition of Fokker–Planck terms to each one of the above equations. The transport coefficients λ and D are determined by solving the Enskog–Lorentz kinetic equation by means of the Chapman–Enskog method adapted to inelastic collisions. As for elastic collisions, both transport coefficients are given in terms of the solutions of two integral equations, which are approximately solved up to the second order in a Sonine polynomial expansion. Theoretical results are compared against numerical solutions of the inelastic Enskog equation by means of the direct simulation Monte Carlo method. In general, good agreement between theory and simulations is found, especially in the case of the second Sonine approximation. Knowledge of the coefficients λ and D allows us to assess the departure of the (conventional) Einstein relation ϵ=D/(Tbλ) from 1. As expected from previous results for driven granular gases, it is shown that when the bath temperature T b is replaced by the intruder temperature T 0 in the Einstein relation, the origin of the deviation of ε from 1 is only due to the non-Maxwellian behavior of the reference state of intruders (measured by the cumulant c 0). Since the magnitude of c 0 is in general very small, deviations of the (modified) Einstein relation ϵ0=D/(T0λ) from 1 cannot be detected in computer simulations of dilute granular gases. This conclusion agrees well with previous computer simulation results.

Mathematical Investigation of 1D Discontinuity Waves in Dilute Granular Gases

The propagation of acceleration waves in dilute granular gases was investigated. Acceleration waves propagating in elastic gases, mixtures, and other materials are widely studied in the literature, but not in granular gases. A thirteen-moment theory for granular gas was considered in the framework of Grad’s theory. The spatially homogeneous solutions were determined, and the hyperbolicity of the model is discussed. The propagation of acceleration waves in a non-constant state was investigated; the amplitude of the fastest mode was derived, and the critical time was evaluated. The acceleration wave propagation velocity in inelastic gases was shown to be lower than in elastic gases.

Rheology of dilute granular gas mixtures where the grains interact via a square shoulder and well potential

We develop the rheology of a dilute granular gas mixture. Motivated by the interaction of charged granular particles, we assume that the grains interact via a square shoulder and well potential. Employing a kinetic theory, we compute the temperature and the shear viscosity as a function of the shear rate. Numerical simulations confirm our results are above the critical shear rate. At a shear rate below a critical value, clustering of the particles occurs.

Kinetic Theory and Memory Effects of Homogeneous Inelastic Granular Gases under Nonlinear Drag.

We study a dilute granular gas immersed in a thermal bath made of smaller particles with masses not much smaller than the granular ones in this work. Granular particles are assumed to have inelastic and hard interactions, losing energy in collisions as accounted by a constant coefficient of normal restitution. The interaction with the thermal bath is modeled by a nonlinear drag force plus a white-noise stochastic force. The kinetic theory for this system is described by an Enskog–Fokker–Planck equation for the one-particle velocity distribution function. To get explicit results of the temperature aging and steady states, Maxwellian and first Sonine approximations are developed. The latter takes into account the coupling of the excess kurtosis with the temperature. Theoretical predictions are compared with direct simulation Monte Carlo and event-driven molecular dynamics simulations. While good results for the granular temperature are obtained from the Maxwellian approximation, a much better agreement, especially as inelasticity and drag nonlinearity increase, is found when using the first Sonine approximation. The latter approximation is, additionally, crucial to account for memory effects such as Mpemba and Kovacs-like ones.

Homogeneous cooling of a dilute polydisperse granular gas

Homogeneous cooling of a dilute polydisperse granular gas

Hydrodynamics of granular gases of inelastic and rough hard disks or spheres. I. Transport coefficients.

The transport coefficients for dilute granular gases of inelastic and rough hard disks or spheres with constant coefficients of normal (α) and tangential (β) restitution are obtained in a unified framework as functions of the number of translational (d_{t}) and rotational (d_{r}) degrees of freedom. The derivation is carried out by means of the Chapman-Enskog method with a Sonine-like approximation in which, in contrast to previous approaches, the reference distribution function for angular velocities does not need to be specified. The well-known case of purely smooth d-dimensional particles is recovered by setting d_{t}=d and formally taking the limit d_{r}→0. In addition, previous results [G. M. Kremer, A. Santos, and V. Garzó, Phys. Rev. E 90, 022205 (2014)10.1103/PhysRevE.90.022205] for hard spheres are reobtained by taking d_{t}=d_{r}=3, while novel results for hard-disk gases are derived with the choice d_{t}=2,d_{r}=1. The singular quasismooth limit (β→-1) and the conservative Pidduck's gas (α=β=1) are also obtained and discussed.

Hydrodynamics of granular gases of inelastic and rough hard disks or spheres. II. Stability analysis.

Conditions for the stability under linear perturbations around the homogeneous cooling state are studied for dilute granular gases of inelastic and rough hard disks or spheres with constant coefficients of normal (α) and tangential (β) restitution. After a formally exact linear stability analysis of the Navier-Stokes-Fourier hydrodynamic equations in terms of the translational (d_{t}) and rotational (d_{r}) degrees of freedom, the transport coefficients derived in the companion paper [A. Megías and A. Santos, "Hydrodynamics of granular gases of inelastic and rough hard disks or spheres. I. Transport coefficients" Phys. Rev. E 104, 034901 (2021)10.1103/PhysRevE.104.034901] are employed. Known results for hard spheres [Garzó, Santos, and Kremer, Phys. Rev. E 97, 052901 (2018)10.1103/PhysRevE.97.052901] are recovered by setting d_{t}=d_{r}=3, while novel results for hard disks (d_{t}=2,d_{r}=1) are obtained. In the latter case, a high-inelasticity peculiar region in the (α,β) parameter space is found, inside which the critical wave number associated with the longitudinal modes diverges. Comparison with event-driven molecular dynamics simulations for dilute systems of hard disks at α=0.2 shows that this theoretical region of absolute instability may be an artifact of the extrapolation to high inelasticity of the approximations made in the derivation of the transport coefficients, although it signals a shrinking of the conditions for stability. In the case of moderate inelasticity (α=0.7), however, a good agreement between the theoretical predictions and the simulation results is found.

Impact of Softness of Particles on Rheology of Dilute Granular Gases

We numerically and theoretically investigate how the softness of particles affects the rheology of sheared dilute granular gases. We find that the kinetic theory predicts the deviation of the flow curve from the Bagnold scaling, and it works well below a certain shear rate when we compare with the simulation results. It is also found that there is no theoretical solution above this shear rate, which is because the energy loss due to inelastic collisions cannot be balanced with the energy injection by the shear.

On the translational and rotational granular temperatures in periodically excited 2D granular systems

We present numerical results on mean ratio of the translational to the total kinetic energy of periodically excited 2D granular gases as a function of inelasticity and packing density. The excitation comes from periodic energy injections at two walls into neighboring grains. We observed that the mean ratio decreases with increasing inelasticity at fixed density, and reaches a plateau. We also observed that it has a weak decreasing relation with the packing density at fixed inelasticity, up to values close to Random Close Packing, where it drops considerably. It occurs due to a marked increase of the packing rotational energy, and we believe it to be an instance of the recently reported cooperative-rotational state. In all cases below RCP, the steady state is formed by a large cluster of particles (which takes, in all cases, most of the particles in the system), surrounded by a dilute granular gas, and that most of the contribution to the mean kinetic energy ratio comes from the particles in this gas. Close to RCP, the gas disappears, and the results are determined by the whole compressed packing, in which the grains form a contact network that allows them to keep their rotational motion.

Shock–contact–shock solutions of the Riemann problem for dilute granular gas

Abstract

High-speed confined granular flows down smooth inclines: scaling and wall friction laws

Recent numerical work has shown that high-speed confined granular flows down smooth inclines exhibit a rich variety of flow patterns, including dense unidirectional flows, flows with longitudinal vortices and supported flows characterized by a dense core surrounded by a dilute hot granular gas [1]. Here, we further analyzed the results obtained in [1]. More precisely, we characterize carefully the transition between the different flow regimes, including unidirectional, roll and supported flow regimes and propose for each transition an appropriate order parameter. Importantly, we also uncover that the effective friction at the basal and side walls can be described as a unique function of a dimensionless number which is the analog of a Froude number: $$Fr=V/\sqrt{gH\cos \theta }$$ where V is the particle velocity at the walls, $$\theta$$ is the inclination angle and H the particle holdup (defined as the depth-integrated particle volume fraction). This universal function provides a boundary condition for granular flows running on smooth boundaries. Additionally, we show that there exists a similar universal law relating the local friction to a local Froude number $$Fr^{loc}=V^{loc}/\sqrt{P^{loc}/\rho }$$ (where $$V^{loc}$$ and $$P^{loc}$$ are the local velocity and pressure at the boundary, respectively, and $$\rho$$ the particle density) and that the latter holds for unsteady flows.

Rheology of dilute cohesive granular gases.

Rheology of a dilute cohesive granular gas is theoretically and numerically studied. The flow curve between the shear viscosity and the shear rate is derived from the inelastic Boltzmann equation for particles having square-well potentials in a simple shear flow. It is found that (i) the stable uniformly sheared state only exists above a critical shear rate and (ii) the viscosity in the uniformly sheared flow is almost identical to that for uniformly sheared flow of hard core granular particles. Below the critical shear rate, clusters grow with time, in which the viscosity can be approximated by that for the hard-core fluids if we replace the diameter of the particle by the mean diameter of clusters.

Higher-order moment theories for dilute granular gases of smooth hard spheres

Grad’s method of moments is employed to develop higher-order Grad moment equations – up to the first 26 moments – for dilute granular gases within the framework of the (inelastic) Boltzmann equation. The homogeneous cooling state of a freely cooling granular gas is investigated with the Grad 26-moment equations in a semi-linearized setting and it is shown that the granular temperature in the homogeneous cooling state still decays according to Haff’s law while the other higher-order moments decay on a faster time scale. The nonlinear terms of the fully contracted fourth moment are also considered and, by exploiting the stability analysis of fixed points, it is shown that these nonlinear terms have a negligible effect on Haff’s law. Furthermore, an even larger Grad moment system, which includes the fully contracted sixth moment, is also scrutinized and the stability analysis of fixed points is again exploited to conclude that even the inclusion of the scalar sixth-order moment into the Grad moment system has a negligible effect on Haff’s law. The constitutive relations for the stress and heat flux (i.e. the Navier–Stokes and Fourier relations) are derived through the Grad 26-moment equations and compared with those obtained via the Chapman–Enskog expansion and via computer simulations. The linear stability of the homogeneous cooling state is analysed through the Grad 26-moment system and various subsystems by decomposing them into longitudinal and transverse systems. It is found that one eigenmode in both longitudinal and transverse systems in the case of inelastic gases is unstable. By comparing the eigenmodes from various theories, it is established that the 13-moment eigenmode theory predicts that the unstable heat mode of the longitudinal system remains unstable for all wavenumbers below a certain coefficient of restitution, while any other higher-order moment theory shows that this mode becomes stable above some critical wavenumber for all values of the coefficient of restitution. In particular, the Grad 26-moment theory leads to a smooth profile for the critical wavenumber, in contrast to the other considered theories. Furthermore, the critical system size obtained through the Grad 26-moment theory is in excellent agreement with that obtained through existing theories.

Homogeneous cooling state of dilute granular gases of charged particles

We describe the velocity distribution function of a granular gas of electrically charged particles by means of a Sonine polynomial expansion and study the decay of its granular temperature. We find a dependence of the first non-trivial Sonine coefficient, a2, on time through the value of temperature. In particular, we find a sudden drop of a2 when temperature approaches a characteristic value, T*, describing the electrostatic interaction. For lower values of T, the velocity distribution function becomes Maxwellian. The theoretical calculations agree well with numerical direct simulation Monte Carlo to validate our theory.

Hydrodynamics, wall-slip, and normal-stress differences in rarefied granular Poiseuille flow.

Hydrodynamic fields, macroscopic boundary conditions, and non-Newtonian rheology of the acceleration-driven Poiseuille flow of a dilute granular gas are probed using "direct simulation Monte Carlo" method for a range of Knudsen numbers (Kn, the ratio between the mean free path and the macroscopic length), spanning the rarefied regime of slip and transitional flows. It is shown that the "dissipation-induced clustering" (for 1-e_{n}>0, where e_{n} is the restitution coefficient), leading to inhomogeneous density profiles along the transverse direction, competes with "rarefaction-induced declustering" (for Kn>0) phenomenon, leaving seemingly "anomalous" footprints on several hydrodynamic and rheological quantities; one example is the well-known rarefaction-induced temperature bimodality, which could also result from inelastic dissipation that dominates in the continuum limit (Kn→0) as found recently [Alam et al., J. Fluid Mech. 782, 99 (2015)JFLSA70022-112010.1017/jfm.2015.523]. The simulation data on the slip velocity and the temperature slip are contrasted with well-established boundary conditions for molecular gases. A modified Maxwell-Navier-type boundary condition is found to hold in granular Poiseuille flow, with the velocity slip length following a power-law relation with Knudsen number Kn^{δ}, with δ≈0.95, for Kn≤0.1. Transverse profiles of both first [N_{1}(y)] and second [N_{2}(y)] normal stress differences seem to correlate well with respective density profiles at small Kn; their centerline values [N_{1}(0) and N_{2}(0)] can be of "odd" sign with respect to their counterparts in molecular gases. The phase diagrams are constructed in the (Kn,1-e_{n}) plane that demarcates the regions of influence of inelasticity and rarefaction, which compete with each other resulting in the sign change of both N_{1}(0) and N_{2}(0). The results on normal stress differences are rationalized via a comparison with a Burnett-order theory [Sela and Goldhirsch, J. Fluid Mech. 361, 41 (1998)JFLSA70022-112010.1017/S0022112098008660], which is able to predict their correct behavior at small values of the Knudsen number. Lastly, the Knudsen paradox and its dependence on inelasticity are analyzed and contrasted with related recent works.

Kinetic theory for dilute cohesive granular gases with a square well potential.

We develop the kinetic theory of dilute cohesive granular gases in which the attractive part is described by a square well potential. We derive the hydrodynamic equations from the kinetic theory with the microscopic expressions for the dissipation rate and the transport coefficients. We check the validity of our theory by performing the direct simulation Monte Carlo.

Plane shock waves and Haff’s law in a granular gas

The Riemann problem of planar shock waves is analysed for a dilute granular gas by solving Euler- and Navier–Stokes-order equations numerically. The density and temperature profiles are found to be asymmetric, with the maxima of both density and temperature occurring within the shock layer. The density peak increases with increasing Mach number and inelasticity, and is found to propagate at a steady speed at late times. The granular temperature at the upstream end of the shock decays according to Haff’s law (${\it\theta}(t)\sim t^{-2}$), but the downstream temperature decays faster than its upstream counterpart. Haff’s law seems to hold inside the shock up to a certain time for weak shocks, but deviations occur for strong shocks. The time at which the maximum temperature deviates from Haff’s law follows a power-law scaling with the upstream Mach number and the restitution coefficient. The origin of the continual build-up of density with time is discussed, and it is shown that the granular energy equation must be ‘regularized’ to arrest the maximum density.

Non-Newtonian stress, collisional dissipation and heat flux in the shear flow of inelastic disks: a reduction via Grad’s moment method

AbstractThe non-Newtonian stress tensor, collisional dissipation rate and heat flux in the plane shear flow of smooth inelastic disks are analysed from the Grad-level moment equations using the anisotropic Gaussian as a reference. For steady uniform shear flow, the balance equation for the second moment of velocity fluctuations is solved semi-analytically, yielding closed-form expressions for the shear viscosity $\def \xmlpi #1{}\def \mathsfbi #1{\boldsymbol {\mathsf {#1}}}\let \le =\leqslant \let \leq =\leqslant \let \ge =\geqslant \let \geq =\geqslant \def \Pr {\mathit {Pr}}\def \Fr {\mathit {Fr}}\def \Rey {\mathit {Re}}\mu $, pressure $p$, first normal stress difference ${\mathcal{N}}_1$ and dissipation rate ${\mathcal{D}}$ as functions of (i) density or area fraction $\nu $, (ii) restitution coefficient $e$, (iii) dimensionless shear rate $R$, (iv) temperature anisotropy $\eta $ (the difference between the principal eigenvalues of the second-moment tensor) and (v) angle $\phi $ between the principal directions of the shear tensor and the second-moment tensor. The last two parameters are zero at the Navier–Stokes order, recovering the known exact transport coefficients from the present analysis in the limit $\eta ,\phi \to 0$, and are therefore measures of the non-Newtonian rheology of the medium. An exact analytical solution for leading-order moment equations is given, which helped to determine the scaling relations of $R$, $\eta $ and $\phi $ with inelasticity. We show that the terms at super-Burnett order must be retained for a quantitative prediction of transport coefficients, especially at moderate to large densities for small values of the restitution coefficient ($e \ll 1$). Particle simulation data for a sheared inelastic hard-disk system are compared with theoretical results, with good agreement for $p$, $\mu $ and ${\mathcal{N}}_1$ over a range of densities spanning from the dilute to close to the freezing point. In contrast, the predictions from a constitutive model at Navier–Stokes order are found to deviate significantly from both the simulation and the moment theory even at moderate values of the restitution coefficient ($e\sim 0.9$). Lastly, a generalized Fourier law for the granular heat flux, which vanishes identically in the uniform shear state, is derived for a dilute granular gas by analysing the non-uniform shear flow via an expansion around the anisotropic Gaussian state. We show that the gradient of the deviatoric part of the kinetic stress drives a heat current and the thermal conductivity is characterized by an anisotropic second-rank tensor, for which explicit analytical expressions are given.

Transport coefficients of a granular gas of inelastic rough hard spheres.

The Boltzmann equation for inelastic and rough hard spheres is considered as a model of a dilute granular gas. In this model, the collisions are characterized by constant coefficients of normal and tangential restitution, and hence the translational and rotational degrees of freedom are coupled. A normal solution to the Boltzmann equation is obtained by means of the Chapman-Enskog method for states near the homogeneous cooling state. The analysis is carried out to first order in the spatial gradients of the number density, the flow velocity, and the granular temperature. The constitutive equations for the momentum and heat fluxes and for the cooling rate are derived, and the associated transport coefficients are expressed in terms of the solutions of linear integral equations. For practical purposes, a first Sonine approximation is used to obtain explicit expressions of the transport coefficients as nonlinear functions of both coefficients of restitution and the moment of inertia. Known results for purely smooth inelastic spheres and perfectly elastic and rough spheres are recovered in the appropriate limits.

Kovacs-like memory effect in driven granular gases.

While memory effects have been reported for dense enough disordered systems such as glasses, we show here by a combination of analytical and simulation techniques that they are also intrinsic to the dynamics of dilute granular gases. By means of a certain driving protocol, we prepare the gas in a state where the granular temperature T coincides with its long time limit. However, T does not subsequently remain constant but exhibits a nonmonotonic evolution before reaching its nonequilibrium steady value. The corresponding so-called Kovacs hump displays a normal behavior for weak dissipation (as observed in molecular systems) but is reversed under strong dissipation, where it, thus, becomes anomalous.