Temperature distribution in driven granular mixtures does not depend on mechanism of energy dissipation

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that in driven granular mixtures, the temperature distribution is universal and independent of the dissipation mechanism, confirmed by analytical theory and DSMC simulations, challenging simplified models.

Contribution

The study reveals the universality of temperature distribution in driven granular mixtures regardless of dissipation mechanisms, supported by analytical and simulation results.

Findings

Temperature distribution is universal in driven mixtures.

Simplified models with constant restitution fail qualitatively.

Analytical results agree perfectly with DSMC simulations.

Abstract

We study analytically and numerically the distribution of granular temperatures in granular mixtures for different dissipation mechanisms of inelastic inter-particle collisions. Both driven and force-free systems are analyzed. We demonstrate that the simplified model of a constant restitution coefficient fails to predict even qualitatively a granular temperature distribution in a homogeneous cooling state. At the same time we reveal for driven systems a stunning result -- the distribution of temperatures in granular mixtures is universal. That is, it does not depend on a particular dissipation mechanism of inter-particles collisions, provided the size distributions of particles is steep enough. The results of the analytic theory are compared with simulation results obtained by the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC). The agreement between the theory and simulations is perfect. The reported results may have important consequences for fundamental science as well as for numerous application, e.g. for the experimental modelling in a lab of natural processes.