Evidence of higher-order effects in thermally driven rapid granular flows

Abstract

Molecular dynamic (MD) simulations are used to probe the ability of Navier–Stokes-order theories to predict each of the constitutive quantities – heat flux, stress tensor and dissipation rate – associated with granular materials. The system under investigation is bounded by two opposite walls of set granular temperature and is characterized by zero mean flow. The comparisons between MD and theory provide evidence of higher-order effects in each of the constitutive quantities. Furthermore, the size of these effects is roughly one order of magnitude greater, on a percentage basis, for heat flux than it is for stress or dissipation rate. For the case of heat flux, these effects are attributed to super-Burnett-order contributions (third order in gradients) or greater, since Burnett-order contributions to the heat flux do not exist. Finally, for the system considered, these higher-order contributions to the heat flux outweigh the first-order contribution arising from a gradient in concentration (i.e. the Dufour effect)