Microrheology close to an equilibrium phase transition
Abstract
We investigate the microstructural and microrheological response to a tracer particle of a two- dimensional colloidal suspension under thermodynamic conditions close to a liquid-gas phase bound- ary. On the liquid side of the binodal, increasing the velocity of the (repulsive) tracer leads to the development of a pronounced cavitation bubble, within which the concentration of colloidal parti- cles is strongly depleted. The tendency of the liquid to cavitate is characterized by a dimensionless colloidal cavitation number. On the gas side of the binodal, a pulled (attractive) tracer leaves behind it an extended trail of colloidal liquid, arising from downstream advection of a wetting layer on its surface. For both situations the velocity dependent friction is calculated.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1402.5883,
title = {Microrheology close to an equilibrium phase transition},
author = {J. Reinhardt and A. Scacchi and J. M. Brader},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1402.5883},
year = {2015}
}