title: Shear-induced dynamic polarization and mesoscopic structure in suspensions of polar nanorods.
abstract: We investigate the spatiotemporal behavior of sheared suspensions of rodlike particles with permanent dipole moments. Our calculations are based on a self-consistent hydrodynamic model including feedback effects between orientational motion and velocity profile. The competition between shear-induced tumbling motion and the boundary conditions imposed by plates leads to oscillatory alignment structures. These give rise to a spontaneous time-dependent polarization generating, in turn, magnetic fields. This novel shear-induced effect is robust against varying the boundary conditions. The field strengths are of a measurable magnitude for a broad parameter range.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Theoretische Physik, Technische Universität Berlin, Hardenbergstrasse 36, D-10623 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heidenreich
authors.forename: Siegfried
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hess
authors.forename: Sabine H L
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Klapp
mesh_terms: D001704:Biopolymers / Q000737:chemistry; D008956:Models, Chemical; D043942:Nanotubes / Q000737:chemistry*; D013535:Suspensions / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001704:Biopolymers; D013535:Suspensions