Monte Carlo simulation of granular fluids

An overview of recent work on Monte Carlo simulations of a granular binary mixture is presented. The results are obtained numerically solving the Enskog equation for inelastic hard-spheres by means of an extension of the well-known direct Monte Carlo simulation (DSMC) method. The homogeneous cooling state and the stationary state reached using the Gaussian thermostat are considered. The temperature ratio, the fourth velocity moments and the velocity distribution functions are obtained for both cases. The shear viscosity characterizing the momentum transport in the thermostatted case is calculated as well. The simulation results are compared with analytical predictions showing an excellent agreement.