AA << investigated the flow behavior of a highly elastic, shear-thinning, semi-dilute (Wormlike micelle) WLM solution in serpentine channels at low Reynolds number and moderate Weissenberg numbers. >>
Their << flow visualization experiments revealed three key phenomena: >>
1. << At low Wi, the base flow is steady and laminar but exhibits spatial asymmetry with wall slip, reflecting the shear-thinning and shear banding properties of the WLM solution. Above a critical Wi (..) the flow undergoes an elastic instability and transitions to a 3D unsteady flow state characterized by pronounced spatiotemporal velocity fluctuations. (..). >>
2. << Alongside this unstable bulk flow, dead zones of stagnant fluid form in the downstream portion of halfloops—reflecting the ability of the WLM solution to support shear localization, complementing reports of dead zone formation for other types of complex fluids (..). Due to coupling to the velocity fluctuations in the bulk flow, these dead zones fluctuate in their size; however, they are bounded by a maximalsize that minimizes the fluid streamline curvature, and therefore the generation of elastic stresses. Dead zones also exhibit multistable behavior—forming and persisting in some half-loops, not forming in other half-loops, and randomly switching between these two states. (..). >>
3. << The unstable flow state also features intermittent, 3D “twisting” velocity inversion events amid the spatiotemporally-fluctuating bulk flow. These twisting events reduce the hydrodynamic tortuosity compared to the base flow state, and their geometric structure can also be rationalized as minimizing the fluid streamline curvature, and therefore the generation of elastic stresses. >>
Emily Y. Chen, Sujit S. Datta. Elastic instability of wormlike micelle solution flow in serpentine channels. arXiv: 2504.02951v1 [physics.flu-dyn].
Also: elastic, instability, disorder & fluctuations, transition, behav, in https://www.inkgmr.net/kwrds.html
Keywords: gst, elasticity, instability, disorder & fluctuations, transition, behavior, multistable behavior, randomly switch, twisting events, dead zone
