Clustering and Non-Gaussian Behavior in Granular Matter

A. Puglisi, V. Loreto, U. Marini Bettolo Marconi, A. Petri, and A. Vulpiani
Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 3848 – Published 2 November 1998
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Abstract

We investigate the properties of a model of granular matter consisting of N Brownian particles on a line, subject to inelastic mutual collisions. This model displays a genuine thermodynamic limit for the mean values of the energy, and the energy dissipation. When the typical relaxation time τ associated with the Brownian process is small compared with the mean collision time τc the spatial density is nearly homogeneous and the velocity probability distribution is Gaussian. In the opposite limit ττc one has strong spatial clustering, with a fractal distribution of particles, and the velocity probability distribution strongly deviates from the Gaussian one.

  • Received 11 December 1997

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.81.3848

©1998 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

A. Puglisi1, V. Loreto2, U. Marini Bettolo Marconi3,5, A. Petri4,5, and A. Vulpiani1

  • 1Dipartimento di Fisica, Università La Sapienza, and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica della Materia, Unità di Roma, Piazzale A. Moro 2, 00185 Roma, Italy
  • 2P.M.M.H., Ecole Supérieure de Physique et Chimie Industrielles, 10, rue Vauquelin, 75231 Paris, France
  • 3Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica, Università di Camerino, and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica della Materia, Unità di Camerino, Via Madonna delle Carceri, I-62032, Camerino, Italy
  • 4Istituto di Acustica O.M. Corbino, Fossa del Cavaliere, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 00133 Roma, Italy
  • 5Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Perugia, Perugia, Italy

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Vol. 81, Iss. 18 — 2 November 1998

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