Aggregation and Fragmentation in Granular Gases

by Nikolai Brilliantov (Department of Mathematics, University of Leicester (UK))

Friday 6 Apr 2018, 11:00 → 12:00 Europe/Rome

Aula 8 (Dipartimento di Fisica - Ed. E. Fermi)

We analyze the behavior of granular gases, comprised of dissipative particles, which may aggregate or break at collisions. We study different aggregation and fragmentation models, motivated by applications. Starting from Enskog-Boltzmann, we derive a set of Smoluchowski-like equations for number densities of aggregates of different size and their partial temperatures. We analyze these equations analytically and numerically and find numerous kinetic regimes and steady-state distributions, including a surprising regime of "heating by cooling". An application of our theory for a steady-state distribution to Saturn Rings, allows to explain the observed size distribution of the rings particles.