Grain dynamics in a two-dimensional granular flow

Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys. 2001 Mar;63(3 Pt 1):031301. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.63.031301. Epub 2001 Feb 14.

Abstract

We have used particle tracking methods to study the dynamics of individual balls comprising a granular flow in a small-angle two-dimensional funnel. We statistically analyze many ball trajectories to examine the mechanisms of shock propagation. In particular, we study the creation of, and interactions between, shock waves. We also investigate the role of granular temperature and draw parallels to traffic flow dynamics.