Random inelasticity and velocity fluctuations in a driven granular gas

Abstract

We analyze the deviations from Maxwell-Boltzmann statistics found in recent experiments studying velocity distributions in two-dimensional granular gases driven into a non-equilibrium stationary state by a strong vertical vibration. We show that in its simplest version, the ``stochastic thermostat'' model of heated inelastic hard spheres, contrary to what has been hitherto stated, is incompatible with the experimental data, although predicting a reminiscent high velocity stretched exponential behavior with an exponent 3/2. The experimental observations lead to refine a recently proposed random restitution coefficient model. Very good agreement is then found with experimental velocity distributions within this framework, which appears self-consistent and further provides relevant probes to investigate the universality of the velocity statistics.

5 pages, 5 eps figures

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• Memory effect in uniformly heated granular gases
• Particle kinematics in a dilute, 3-dimensional, vibration-fluidized granular medium
• Boltzmann equation for dissipative gases in homogeneous states with nonlinear friction
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• Anisotropic Energy Distribution in Three-Dimensional Vibrofluidized Granular Systems