Clustering, Order, and Collapse in a Driven Granular Monolayer

Steady state dynamics of clustering, long range order, and inelastic collapse are experimentally observed in vertically shaken granular monolayers. At large vibration amplitudes, particle correlations show only short range order like equilibrium 2D hard sphere gases. Lowering the amplitude “cools” the system, resulting in a dramatic increase in correlations leading either to clustering or an ordered state. Further cooling forms a collapse: a condensate of motionless balls co-existing with a less dense gas. Measured velocity distributions are non-Gaussian, showing nearly exponential tails.