Breakdown of the fluctuation-dissipation relations in granular gases

Abstract

A numerical molecular dynamics experiment measuring the two-time correlation function of the transversal velocity field in the homogeneous cooling state of a granular gas modeled as an ensemble of inelastic hard particles is reported. By measuring the decay rate and the amplitude of the correlations, the accuracy of the Landau-Langevin equation of fluctuating hydrodynamics is checked. The results indicate that although a Langevin approach can be valid, the fluctuation-dissipation relation must be modified, since the viscosity parameter appearing in it differs from the usual hydrodynamic shear viscosity.