Dynamic Modeling and Simulation of a Real World Billiard

Gravitational billiards provide an experimentally accessible arena for testing formulations of nonlinear dynamics. We present a mathematical model that captures the essential dynamics required for describing the motion of a realistic billiard for arbitrary boundaries. Simulations of the model are applied to parabolic, wedge and hyperbolic billiards that are driven sinusoidally. Direct comparisons are made between the model’s predictions and previously published experimental data. It is shown that the data can be successfully modeled with a simple set of parameters without an assumption of exotic energy dependence.