Computer-aided kinetic theory and granular gases

Abstract

A novel computer-aided method for solving kinetic equations has been developed and implemented in a study of the Boltzmann equation corresponding to elastic and inelastic hard spheres. Accurate results are obtained for the linear transport coefficients for all physical values of the coefficient of normal restitution, α. These coefficients are bounded and nonsingular even in the limit of vanishing α. Using the new method we also calculated the full homogeneous cooling state (HCS) distribution function (after replacing the standard divergent expansion by a convergent one) and confirmed the conjecture that it possesses an exponential tail. Further implications and applications of these results are outlined.