Microstructure from simulated Brownian suspension flows at large shear rate

Pair microstructure of concentrated Brownian suspensions in simple-shear flow is studied by sampling of configurations from dynamic simulations by the Stokesian Dynamics technique. Simulated motions are three dimensional with periodic boundary conditions to mimic an infinitely extended suspension. Hydrodynamic interactions through Newtonian fluid and Brownian motion are the only physical influences upon the motion of the monodisperse hard-sphere particles. The dimensionless parameters characterizing the suspension are the particle volume fraction and Peclet number, defined, respectively, as φ=(4π/3)na3 with n the number density and a the sphere radius, and Pe=6πηγa3/kT with η the fluid viscosity, γ the shear rate, and kT the thermal energy. The majority of the results reported are from simulations at Pe=1000; results of simulations at Pe=1, 25, and 100 are also reported for φ=0.3 and φ=0.45. The pair structure is characterized by the pair distribution function, g(r)=P1|1(r)/n, where P1|1(r) is the condi...