Strip waves in vibrated shear-thickening wormlike micellar solutions

Area of Science:

• Fluid Dynamics
• Non-Newtonian Fluids
• Soft Matter Physics

Background:

• Wormlike micellar solutions are complex fluids with unique viscoelastic properties.
• Vertical vibration can induce various instabilities in fluid systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and characterize a novel instability in vertically vibrated dilute wormlike micellar solutions.
• To develop a theoretical model for the observed fluid behavior.

Main Methods:

• Experimental setup involving vertically vibrated dilute wormlike micellar solutions.
• Theoretical modeling using a modified Mathieu equation to capture non-Newtonian effects.

Main Results:

• An instability emerges above a critical driving acceleration.
• The fluid forms elongated solitary domains characterized by high-amplitude waves.
• The modified Mathieu equation successfully reproduces the observed transitions.

Conclusions:

• Vertical vibration can induce significant instabilities in wormlike micellar solutions.
• The developed model accurately describes the non-Newtonian fluid dynamics leading to solitary wave formation.