title: Small-number statistics near the clustering transition in a compartmentalized granular gas.
abstract: Statistical fluctuations are observed to profoundly influence the clustering behavior of granular material in a vibrated system consisting of two connected compartments. When the number of particles N is sufficiently large ( N approximately 300 is sufficient), the clustering follows the lines of a standard second-order phase transition and a mean-field description works. For smaller N , however, the enhanced influence of statistical fluctuations breaks the mean-field behavior. We quantitatively describe the competition between fluctuations and mean-field behavior (as a function of N ) using a dynamical flux model and molecular dynamics simulations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Science and Technology and J. M. Burgers Centre for Fluid Dynamics, University of Twente, P. O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mikkelsen
authors.forename: Ko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: van der Weele
authors.forename: Devaraj
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: van der Meer
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van Hecke
authors.forename: Detlef
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lohse