Horizontal flow in a vertically vibrated granular layer

Motivated by the investigation of Brownian motors in excited granular materials that convert chaotic motion of granules into oriented motion of motors, we performed experimental studies to explore the horizontal flow in a vertically vibrated granular layer in an asymmetric periodic potential. The horizontal flow exhibits complex behaviors, considered as functions of time, space, and driving parameters, which are essentially caused by a thermal ratchet. We interpret our experimental findings in terms of the granular layer gaining, transferring and losing horizontal momentum through inelastic collisions. (C) 2019 Chinese Society of Particuology and Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.