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Channel Flows of Deformable Nematics
Ioannis Hadjifrangiskou1, Sumesh P Thampi1,2, Julia M Yeomans1
1University of Oxford, Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, Oxford OX1 3PU, United Kingdom.
None:
We describe channel flows in a continuum model of deformable nematic particles. In a simple shear flow, deformability leads to a nonlinear coupling of strain rate and vorticity, and results in shape oscillations or flow alignment. The final steady state can depend on initial conditions, and we explain this behavior by considering a phase space representation of the dynamics. In Poiseuille flow, particle deformability and nematic elasticity induce banding, where particles near the walls are aligned, and those near the center of the channel oscillate in direction and shape. Our results show that particle deformability can lead to complex behavior even in simple flows, suggesting new microfluidic experiments.
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