Purely elastic flow asymmetries

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2007

Authors

Poole, RJ (Author) Other; Alves, MA (Author) FEUP; Oliveira, PJ (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Physical Review Letters

Vol. 99

ISSN: 0031-9007

Publisher: American Physical Society

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 107 Citations

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 144 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Natural sciences > Physical sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-004-6RN

DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.99.164503

Abstract (EN): Using a numerical technique we demonstrate that the flow of the simplest differential viscoelastic fluid model (i.e., the upper-convected Maxwell model) goes through a bifurcation to a steady asymmetric state when flowing in a perfectly symmetric "cross-slot" geometry. We show that this asymmetry is purely elastic in nature and that the effect of inertia is a stabilizing one. Our results are in qualitative agreement with very recent experimental visualizations of a similar flow in the microfluidic apparatus of Arratia et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 144502 (2006)].

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 4