Theory of activated-rate processes under shear with application to shear-induced aggregation of colloids
Soft Condensed Matter
2010-02-24 v2 Statistical Mechanics
Abstract
Using a novel approximation scheme within the convective diffusion (two body Smoluchowski) equation framework, we unveil the shear-driven aggregation mechanism at the origin of structure-formation in sheared colloidal systems. The theory, verified against numerics and experiments, explains the induction time followed by explosive (irreversible) rise of viscosity observed in charge-stabilized colloidal and protein systems under steady shear. The Arrhenius-type equation with shear derived here, extending Kramers theory in the presence of shear, is the first analytical result clearly showing the important role of shear-drive in activated-rate processes as they are encountered in soft condensed matter.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.0906.4879,
title = {Theory of activated-rate processes under shear with application to shear-induced aggregation of colloids},
author = {Alessio Zaccone and Daniele Gentili and Hua Wu and Massimo Morbidelli},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0906.4879},
year = {2010}
}