Eur. Phys. J. E (2013) 36: 112
https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2013-13112-2

Regular Article

Forces on a saltating grain in air

¹ State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, 100875, Beijing, P.R. China
² Key Laboratory of Desert and Desertification, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 730000, Lanzhou, P.R. China

^* e-mail: wangzht@lzu.edu.cn
^** e-mail: clzhang@bnu.edu.cn

Received: 25 July 2013
Accepted: 6 September 2013
Published online: 4 October 2013

Abstract

A wind tunnel experiment was performed to measure the trajectories of individual sand grains. Then, the acceleration given by the numerical differentiation was used to assess the relative importance of different external forces on a saltating sand grain in air. It is reconfirmed that the gravitational force and drag are the most important to grain motion. The lift also has certain influence. However, the present research does not support that the electrostatic force is significant.