Abstract
Molecular dynamics simulation is carried out to study domain structures and rheological properties of a two-dimensional phase-separating binary fluid mixture under shear flow. In the early stage of the phase separation, anisotropic composition fluctuations appear immediately after the quench. As the domain grows, the anisotropy in the composition fluctuations increases. The quenched system eventually reaches a dynamical steady state, in which anisotropic domain structures are preserved. In the steady state, the shortest characteristic length scale [Formula Presented] of domains decreases with increasing shear rate [Formula Presented] as [Formula Presented] Stringlike domain structures are observed in the strong shear regime, whereas randomly fluctuating patterns are observed in the weak shear regime. Moreover, the excess viscosity [Formula Presented] is found to decrease with increasing shear rate as [Formula Presented] indicating that the phase-separating fluid mixtures are highly non-Newtonian because of domain deformations.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 3223-3230 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Physical Review E - Statistical Physics, Plasmas, Fluids, and Related Interdisciplinary Topics |
Volume | 59 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1999 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Statistical and Nonlinear Physics
- Statistics and Probability
- Condensed Matter Physics