Blast Shocks in Quasi-Two-Dimensional Supersonic Granular Flows

In a thin, dilute, and fast flowing granular layer, the impact of a small sphere generates a fast growing hole devoid of matter. The growth of this hole is studied in detail, and its dynamics is found to mimic that of blast shocks in gases. This dynamics can be decomposed into two stages: a fast initial stage (the blast) and a slower growth regime whose growth velocity is given by the speed of sound in the medium used. A simple model using ingredients already invoked for the case of blast shocks in gases but including the inelastic nature of collisions between grains accounts accurately for our results. The system studied here allows for a detailed study of the full dynamics of a blast as it relaxes from a strong to a weak shock and later to an acoustic disturbance.