Localized jammed clusters persist in shear-thickening suspension subjected to swirling excitation

Abstract

We investigate the dynamic evolution of heterogeneity in shear-thickening suspensions subjected to swirling excitation with a free surface. The uniform state of such a system may lose its stability when the oscillation frequency is above a threshold, and density waves spontaneously form (Shi \textit{et al.} JFM 2024). Here, we report a novel state where jammed clusters emerge in high-density region of the density waves. The jammed cluster exhibits unique motion, creating downstream high-density regions distinct from previously reported state of density waves. Additionally, theoretical calculations show that reducing suspension thickness lowers the frequency and global concentration $\Phi$ threshold for the heterogeneity onset. Notably, the minimal $\Phi$ for instability can be lower than the onset of discontinuous shear thickening transition. We also highlight the role of the free surface in cluster growth and persistence.

References in corpus (6)

• Shear thickening of cornstarch suspensions as a re-entrant jamming transition
• Dilatancy, Jamming, and the Physics of Granulation
• Structure of propagating high stress fronts in a shear thickening suspension
• Shear-thickening in presence of adhesive contact forces: the singularity of cornstarch
• Investigating the Nature of Discontinuous Shear Thickening: Beyond a Mean-Field Description
• Emergence of a hexagonal pattern in shear-thickening suspensions under orbital oscillations

Cited by in corpus (1)

• Boundary compliance selects heterogeneous dynamics in shear-thickening suspensions