Mpemba effect in a sheared granular gas with velocity-dependent restitution

Abstract

We investigate the Mpemba effect in a dilute sheared granular gas with a velocity-dependent restitution coefficient. Using kinetic theory based on Grad's moment method, we analyze the relaxation dynamics following a sudden change in the shear rate. We show that, despite having a higher initial temperature, a system starting from an isotropic state can relax faster than a system prepared in a sheared steady state, demonstrating a clear Mpemba effect in the temperature evolution. We further demonstrate the emergence of a viscosity Mpemba effect, characterized by crossings in the relaxation curves of the shear viscosity. Remarkably, multiple crossings arise due to an additional intrinsic timescale introduced by the velocity dependence of the restitution coefficient, providing a minimal kinetic mechanism for multiple Mpemba effects in driven granular gases.