A rotating sphere with two walls

Added: 2026-05-27

This simulation demonstrates how particles behave on a rotating sphere with two walls connecting antipodal points on the equator via the poles. As the sphere rotates faster, particles concentrate in the equatorial region due to centrifugal force, which is strongest at latitudes 45° and -45°. When particles leave the equatorial region, they bounce off the walls and create shock waves upon returning. The Coriolis force, proportional to particle speed, causes different turning behaviors in the two hemispheres. The simulation uses the Lennard-Jones potential for particle interactions and the Nosé-Hoover-Langevin thermostat to maintain temperature, with particles visualized as ellipses in an equirectangular projection to account for polar distortion.