Noise induces rare events in granular media

TL;DR

This paper investigates how noise can induce rare events in granular media, specifically the transition from a levitated granular cluster to a broken state, using simulations and rare event theory.

Contribution

It introduces a novel application of rare event theory to granular media, modeling the transition dynamics and computing mean transition times.

Findings

System exhibits bistability with occasional cluster breaking.

Transition times can be predicted using a two-component reaction coordinate.

Simulation results align with theoretical predictions of rare event occurrences.

Abstract

The granular Leidenfrost effect (B. Meerson et al, Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 91}, 024301 (2003), P. Eshuis et al, Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 95}, 258001 (2005)) is the levitation of a mass of granular matter when a wall below the grains is vibrated giving rise to a hot granular gas below the cluster. We find by simulation that for a range of parameters the system is bistable: the levitated cluster can occasionally break and give rise to two clusters and a hot granular gas above and below. We use techniques from the theory of rare events to compute the mean transition time for breaking to occur. This requires the introduction of a two-component reaction coordinate.