No Arabic abstract
We study, by computer simulations, the role of different dissipation forces on the rheological properties of highly-dense particle-laden flows. In particular, we are interested in the close-packing limit (jamming) and the question if universal observables can be identified that do not depend on the details of the dissipation model. To this end, we define a simplified lubrication force and systematically vary the range $h_c$ of this interaction. For fixed $h_c$ a cross-over is seen from a Newtonian flow regime at small strain rates to inertia-dominated flow at larger strain rates. The same cross-over is observed as a function of the lubrication range $h_c$. At the same time, but only at high densities close to jamming, particle velocity as well as local density distributions are unaffected by changes in the lubrication range -- they are candidates for universal behavior. At densities away from jamming, this universality is lost: short-range lubrication forces lead to pronounced particle clustering, while longer-ranged lubrication does not. These findings highlight the importance of geometric packing constraints for particle motion -- independent of the specific dissipation model. With the free volume vanishing at random-close packing, particle motion is more and more constrained by the ever smaller amount of free space. On the other side, macroscopic rheological observables, as well as higher-order correlation functions retain the variability of the underlying dissipation model.
Rheological properties of a dense granular material consisting of frictionless spheres are investigated. It is found that the shear stress, the pressure, and the kinetic temperature obey critical scaling near the jamming transition point, which is considered as a critical point. These scaling laws have some peculiar properties in view of conventional critical phenomena because the exponents depend on the interparticle force models so that they are not universal. It is also found that these scaling laws imply the relation between the exponents that describe the growing correlation length.
We investigate the rheological properties of an assembly of inelastic (but frictionless) particles close to the jamming density using numerical simulation, in which uniform steady states with a constant shear rate $dotgamma$ is realized. The system behaves as a power-law fluid and the relevant exponents are estimated; e.g., the shear stress is proportional to $dotgamma^{1/delta_S}$, where $1/delta_S=0.64(2)$. It is also found that the relaxation time $tau$ and the correlation length $xi$ of the velocity increase obeying power laws: $tausimdotgamma^{-beta}$ and $xisimdotgamma^{-alpha}$, where $beta=0.27(3)$ and $alpha=0.23(3)$.
We study the vibrational modes of three-dimensional jammed packings of soft ellipsoids of revolution as a function of particle aspect ratio $epsilon$ and packing fraction. At the jamming transition for ellipsoids, as distinct from the idealized case using spheres where $epsilon = 1$, there are many unconstrained and non-trivial rotational degrees of freedom. These constitute a set of zero-frequency modes that are gradually mobilized into a new rotational band as $|epsilon - 1|$ increases. Quite surprisingly, as this new band is separated from zero frequency by a gap, and lies below the onset frequency for translational vibrations, $omega^*$, the presence of these new degrees of freedom leaves unaltered the basic scenario that the translational spectrum is determined only by the average contact number. Indeed, $omega^*$ depends solely on coordination as it does for compressed packings of spheres. We also discuss the regime of large $|epsilon - 1|$, where the two bands merge.
For optimal application, pressure-sensitive adhesives must have rheological properties in between those of a viscoplastic solid and those of a viscoelastic liquid. Such adhesives can be produced by emulsion polymerisation, resulting in latex particles which are dispersed in water and contain long-chain acrylic polymers. When the emulsion is dried, the latex particles coalesce and an adhesive film is formed. The rheological properties of the dried samples are believed to be dominated by the interface regions between the original latex particles, but the relation between rheology and latex particle properties is poorly understood. In this paper we show that it is possible to describe the bulk rheology of a pressure-sensitive adhesive by means of a mesoscale simulation model. To reach experimental time and length scales, each latex particle is represented by just one simulated particle. The model is subjected to oscillatory shear flow and extensional flow. Simple order of magnitude estimates of the model parameters already lead to semi-quantitative agreement with experimental results. We show that inclusion of transient forces in the model, i.e. forces with memory of previous configurations, is essential to correctly predict the linear and nonlinear properties.
Fluctuations in a model of a sheared, zero-temperature foam are studied numerically. Five different quantities that reduce to the true temperature in an equilibrium thermal system are calculated. All five have the same shear-rate dependence, and three have the same value. Near the onset of jamming, the relaxation time is the same function of these three temperatures in the sheared system as of the true temperature in an unsheared system. These results imply that statistical mechanics is useful for the system and provide strong support for the concept of jamming.