Moderately dense granular gas of inelastic rough spheres

Abstract

Abstract A kinetic theory for moderately dense gases of inelastic and rough spherical molecules is developed from the Enskog equation where a macroscopic state is characterised by 29 scalar fields which correspond to the moments of the distribution function: mass density, hydrodynamic velocity, pressure tensor, absolute temperature, translational and rotational heat fluxes, hydrodynamic angular velocity and angular velocity flux. The balance equations for the 29 scalar fields are obtained from a transfer equation derived from the Enskog equation where the kinetic and potential parts of the new moments of the distribution function and production terms are calculated from Grad’s distribution function for the basic fields. The transition from the 29 field theory to an eight field theory—with mass density, hydrodynamic velocity, absolute temperature and hydrodynamic angular velocity—leads to the determination of the transport coefficients of the Navier–Stokes and Fourier laws. The transport coefficients are functions of the normal and tangential restitution coefficients and of the local equilibrium radial distribution function. The transport coefficients in the limiting case of elastic rough spheres is also determined.