Statistics of particle velocities in dense granular flows

We present measurements of the particle velocity distribution in the slow flow of granular material through vertical channels. The velocities of particles adjacent to the smooth, transparent front face of the channel were determined by video imaging and particle tracking. We find that the mean veloc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review letters 2005-08, Vol.95 (6), p.068003.1-068003.4, Article 068003
Main Authors: MOKA, Sudheshna, NOTT, Prabhu R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algorithms
Anisotropy
Biomechanical Phenomena
Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science
rheology
Exact sciences and technology
Friction
Gases - chemistry
Granular solids
Material form
Motion
Particle Size
Physics
Probability
Rheology
Statistical Distributions
Stress, Mechanical
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Summary:We present measurements of the particle velocity distribution in the slow flow of granular material through vertical channels. The velocities of particles adjacent to the smooth, transparent front face of the channel were determined by video imaging and particle tracking. We find that the mean velocity changes sharply in shear layers near the side walls, but remains constant in a substantial core. The velocity distribution is non-Gaussian, is anisotropic, and follows a power law at large velocities. Remarkably, the distribution is identical in the shear layer and the core. We show evidence of spatially correlated motion, and propose a mechanism for the generation of fluctuational motion in the absence of shear.
ISSN:0031-9007
1079-7114
DOI:10.1103/physrevlett.95.068003