Dynamics of granular particles with interactions at a distance

A system of granular particles with interactions at a distance is studied experimentally, and the corresponding dynamics is examined via the speed distributions. It is found to differ from that of hard granular systems, i.e. systems with no interactions other than dissipative collisions, and the discrepancy is shown to not be due solely to the effect of interactions on clustering. Finally, analytical expressions are derived and compared to the experimental results. (paper: classical statistical mechanics, equilibrium and non-equilibrium)