https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2010-00274-3
Observation of the condensation of a gas of interacting grains
Laboratoire de Physique Statistique, École Normale Supérieure, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, Université Paris Diderot, CNRS, 24 rue Lhomond, 75005 Paris, France
Corresponding author: a petrelis@lps.ens.fr
Received:
1
June
2010
Revised:
11
August
2010
Published online:
27
September
2010
We consider an ensemble of grains that interact through a dipole-dipole interaction. A granular gas is formed by the vertical motion of a piston at the bottom boundary of the system. The interaction between the grains is controlled by an horizontally applied magnetic field. When the speed of the piston is decreased, we observe a transition from a low density to a high density phase. When the interaction between grains is weak, the transition is continuous. It is discontinuous for stronger interaction. The phase diagram displays strong similarities with the ones observed for usual equilibrium phase transitions.
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag, 2010
