  Walls in discrete element method simulations of granular flows are sometimes
modeled as a closely packed monolayer of fixed particles, resulting in a rough
wall rather than a geometrically smooth wall. An implicit assumption is that
the resulting rough wall differs from a smooth wall only locally at the
particle scale. Here we test this assumption by considering the impact of the
wall roughness at the periphery of the flowing layer on the flow of
monodisperse particles in a rotating spherical tumbler. We find that varying
the wall roughness significantly alters average particle trajectories even far
from the wall. Rough walls induce greater poleward axial drift of particles
near the flowing layer surface, but decrease the curvature of the trajectories.
Increasing the volume fill level in the tumbler has little effect on the axial
drift for rough walls, but increases the drift while reducing curvature of the
particle trajectories for smooth walls. The mechanism for these effects is
related to the degree of local slip at the bounding wall, which alters the
flowing layer thickness near the walls, affecting the particle trajectories
even far from the walls near the equator of the tumbler. Thus, the proper
choice of wall conditions is important in the accurate simulation of granular
flows, even far from the bounding wall.
