Abstract
We study velocity statistics of electrostatically driven granular gases. For two different experiments, (i) nonmagnetic particles in a viscous fluid and (ii) magnetic particles in air, the velocity distribution is non-Maxwellian, and its high-energy tail is exponential, P(v)∼exp (-|v|). This behavior is consistent with the kinetic theory of driven dissipative particles. For particles immersed in a fluid, viscous damping is responsible for the exponential tail, while for magnetic particles, long-range interactions cause the exponential tail. We conclude that velocity statistics of dissipative gases are sensitive to the fluid environment and to the form of the particle interaction.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 068001 |
Journal | Physical review letters |
Volume | 95 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 5 2005 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physics and Astronomy(all)