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The Simplest Piston Problem II: Inelastic Collisions

P. I. Hurtado·S. Redner
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Abstract

We study the dynamics of three particles in a finite interval, in which two light particles are separated by a heavy ``piston'', with elastic collisions between particles but inelastic collisions between the light particles and the interval ends. A symmetry breaking occurs in which the piston migrates near one end of the interval and performs small-amplitude periodic oscillations on a logarithmic time scale. The properties of this dissipative limit cycle can be understood simply in terms of an effective restitution coefficient picture. Many dynamical features of the three-particle system closely resemble those of the many-body inelastic piston problem.

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BibTeXRIS

P. I. Hurtado, S. Redner. 2006-02-01. The Simplest Piston Problem II: Inelastic Collisions. https://doi.org/10.1103/physreve.73.016137

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