Models of fluidized granular materials: examples of non equilibrium steady states

We review some models of granular materials fluidized by means of external forces, such as random homogeneous forcing with damping, vibrating plates, flow in an inclined channel and flow in a double well potential. All these systems show the presence of density correlations and non-Gaussian velocity distributions. These models are useful in understanding the role of a kinetically defined 'temperature' (in this case the so-called granular temperature) in a non-equilibrium stationary state. In the homogeneously randomly driven gas the granular temperature is different from that of the driving bath. Moreover, two different granular materials mixed together may stay in a stationary state with different temperatures. At the same time, the granular temperature determines (as in equilibrium systems) the escape time in a double well potential.