In this work discrete element modeling (DEM) was applied to the flow of granular jets against a target. The resulting sheetlike or conelike formations under different conditions are described and explained by means of kinetic analysis. A qualitative and quantitative comparison with experimental results [Cheng et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 188001 (2007)] provides interesting insights in the theoretical treatment of the head-on collision of granular jets. Results presented in this paper provide a theoretical description of this type of physical system. However, there still exist obstacles in obtaining quantitative results. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.82.031307 © 2010 The American Physical Society

Particle based methods can be used for both the simulations of solid and fluid phases in multiphase medium, such as the discrete-element method for solid phase and the smoothed particle hydrodynamics for fluid phase. This paper presents a computational method combining these two methods for solid-liquid medium. The two phases are coupled by using an improved model from a reported Lagrangian-Eulerian method. The technique is verified by simulating liquid-solidflows in a two-dimensional lid-driven cavity.