Kinetic description of a fluidized one-dimensional granular system

In this paper we study, using Boltzmann's equation and molecular-dynamic si mulations, a one-dimensional column of N inelastic point particles, in the quasielastic limit, under the influence of gravity. The column has no top b oundary and it is subjected to a permanent energy injection at a fixed base chosen to behave like a "hot wall." The quasielastic condition plus the bo undary condition guarantee molecular chaos. The energy injection is of enou gh intensity to keep the system permanently in a low density state. The sys tem-which would have a homogeneous temperature if it were conservative-show s a temperature gradient because of dissipation. It is shown that, after ad imensionalizing, the physical properties in the hydrodynamic Limit (N-->inf inity) depend solely on the product qN, where q is an inelasticity coeffici ent. Comparison of our molecular-dynamic results with this theoretical pict ure is excellent. [S1063-651X(99)01501-9].