Zero-gravity thermal convection in granular gases

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the existence of steady gravity-free thermal convection in a granular gas driven solely by internal dissipation and thermal sources, challenging the traditional view that gravity is necessary for convection.

Contribution

It provides the first evidence of gravity-free thermal convection in granular gases, using event-driven simulations without external thermal gradients.

Findings

Convection occurs in a granular gas without gravity or external thermal gradients.

Steady convection is maintained by internal dissipation and thermal sources.

Simulation results support the existence of gravity-free thermal convection.

Abstract

Previous experimental and theoretical evidence has shown that convective flow may appear in granular fluids if subjected to a thermal gradient and gravity (Rayleigh-B\'enard-type convection). In contrast to this, we present here evidence of gravity-free thermal convection in a granular gas, with no presence of external thermal gradients either. Convection is here maintained steady by internal gradients due to dissipation and thermal sources at the same temperature. The granular gas is composed by identical disks and is enclosed in a rectangular region. Our results are obtained by means of an event-driven algorithm for inelastic hard disks.