Granular flow down an inclined plane: Bagnold scaling and rheology - art. no. 051302

We have performed a systematic, large-scale simulation study of granular me dia in two and three dimensions, investigating the rheology of cohesionless granular particles in inclined plane geometries, i.e., chute flows. We fin d that over a wide range of parameter space of interaction coefficients and inclination angles, a steady-state flow regime exists in which the energy input from gravity balances that dissipated from friction and inelastic col lisions. In this regime, the bulk packing fraction (away from the top free surface and the bottom plate boundary) remains constant as a function of de pth z, of the pile. The velocity profile in the direction of flow v(x)(z) s cales with height of the pile H, according to v(x)(z) proportional to H-alp ha, with alpha = 1.52 +/- 0.05. However, the behavior of the normal stresse s indicates that existing simple theories of granular flow do not capture a ll of the features evidenced in the simulations.