Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
5500259 Physica D: Nonlinear Phenomena 2017 13 Pages PDF
Abstract
We study the static equilibria of a simplified Leslie-Ericksen model for a unidirectional uniaxial nematic flow in a prototype microfluidic channel, as a function of the pressure gradient G and inverse anchoring strength, B. We numerically find multiple static equilibria for admissible pairs (G,B) and classify them according to their winding numbers and stability. The case G=0 is analytically tractable and we numerically study how the solution landscape is transformed as G increases. We study the one-dimensional dynamical model, the sensitivity of the dynamic solutions to initial conditions and the rate of change of G and B. We provide a physically interesting example of how the time delay between the applications of G and B can determine the selection of the final steady state.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Mathematics Applied Mathematics
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