Statistical physics of shear flow: a non-equilibrium problem |
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Authors: | R ML Evans |
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Institution: | 1. School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds , Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK r.m.l.evans@leeds.ac.uk |
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Abstract: | Complex fluids are easily and reproducibly driven into non-equilibrium steady states by the action of shear flow. The statistics of the microstructure of non-equilibrium fluids is important to the material properties of every complex fluid that flows, e.g. axle grease on a rotating bearing; blood circulating in capillaries; molten plastic flowing into a mould; the non-equilibrium onion phase of amphiphiles used for drug delivery; the list is endless. Such states are as diverse and interesting as equilibrium states, but are not governed by the same statistics as equilibrium materials. I review some recently discovered principles governing the probabilities of various types of molecular re-arrangements taking place within a sheared fluid. As well as providing new foundations for the study of non-equilibrium matter, the principles are applied to some simple models of particles interacting under flow, showing that the theory exhibits physically convincing behaviour. |
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Keywords: | soft-matter physics complex fluids non-equilibrium statistical mechanics |
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