Hydrodynamically induced cross stream migration of dissolved macromolecules (modelled as nonlinearly elastic dumbbells)

The hydrodynamically induced cross-stream migration of a nonlinear elastic dumbbell in nonhomogeneous flows is considered. A generally valid expression for the migration velocity is derived and the result applied to viscometric flows. Effects of elasticity and size of the particle, as well as the strength of the flow field, are studied in detail for channel flow and for circular Couette flow. Estimates of the dynamics of developments of non-uniform concentration profiles are discussed.