Crystal nucleation of colloidal suspensions under shear.
We use Brownian dynamics simulations in combination with the umbrella sampling technique to study the effect of shear flow on homogeneous crystal nucleation. We find that a homogeneous shear rate leads to a significant suppression of the crystal nucleation rate and to an increase of the size of the critical nucleus. A simple, phenomenological extension of classical nucleation theory accounts for these observations. The orientation of the crystal nucleus is tilted with respect to the shear direction.
Institut für Theoretische Physik II, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Universitätsstrasse 1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
Ronald
R
Blaak
Stefan
S
Auer
Daan
D
Frenkel
Hartmut
H
Löwen
D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics; D003102:Colloids / Q000737:chemistry*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003460:Crystallization; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D011312:Pressure; D013816:Thermodynamics
D003102:Colloids