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Updated: Jun 21, 2026

An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids
Published on: December 4, 2017
Quasi-Gaussian velocity distribution of a vibrated granular bilayer system
1Laboratoire de Physique Théorique de la Matière Condensée, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France.
Abstract:
We investigate using a discrete element method the kinetic properties of a system composed of a bilayer of granular spheres submitted to a vertical vibration. For moderate dimensionless acceleration, no mixing between layers is observed and the horizontal velocity distributions of the top-layer particles with are quasi-Gaussian. The robustness of this phenomenon is examined for a variety of physical parameters (acceleration of the bottom plate, mass ratio, layer coverage, etc.). A microscopic analysis of the simulation dynamics leads to a simple picture of the underlying mechanisms.
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