Segregation of polydisperse granular media in the presence of a temperature gradient

TL;DR

This study investigates how polydisperse granular media segregate under localized heat sources, revealing that particle size and temperature gradients influence their spatial distribution and clustering behavior.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the segregation patterns of polydisperse granular media driven by localized heat baths and the effects of temperature differences on particle distribution.

Findings

Large particles prefer cold regions when heat sources are similar.

Temperature gradients cause large particles to accumulate near colder reservoirs.

Clustering occurs between heat reservoirs under strong dissipation.

Abstract

Granular media are examined with the focus on polydisperse mixtures in the presence of two localized heat-baths. If the two driving energies are similar, the large particles prefer to stay in the `cold' regions of the system -- as far away from the energy source as possible. If one of the temperatures is larger than the other, the cold region is shifted towards the colder reservoir; if the temperature of one source is much higher, a strong, almost constant temperature gradient builds up between the two reservoirs and the large particles are found close to the cold reservoir. Furthermore, clustering is observed between the heat reservoirs, if dissipation is strong enough.