title: Transition pathways between solid and liquid state in suspensions.
abstract: Suspensions containing rigid monodisperse spherical particles in a Newtonian carrier liquid are investigated experimentally, providing evidence for solid and liquid states in a transient shear rate from rest. Between these two states a transition takes place; the transition pathways from solid to liquid and from liquid to solid being different. The dynamics of the transition are shown, with the material in this regime reacting as a highly nonlinear system. This involves inverting the input to output and vice versa and comparing them. A key feature of the transition regime is a material instability caused by the collapse of the particle network structure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Mechanics and Fluid Dynamics, University of Bayreuth, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany.
authors.forename: Lutz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Heymann
authors.forename: Nuri
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aksel