title: Bistability in a simple fluid network due to viscosity contrast.
abstract: We study the existence of multiple equilibrium states in a simple fluid network using Newtonian fluids and laminar flow. We demonstrate theoretically the presence of hysteresis and bistability, and we confirm these predictions in an experiment using two miscible fluids of different viscosity-sucrose solution and water. Possible applications include blood flow, microfluidics, and other network flows governed by similar principles.
authors.affiliation: Franklin W Olin College of Engineering, Needham, Massachusetts, USA. john.geddes@olin.edu
authors.forename: John B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Geddes
authors.forename: Brian D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Storey
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.forename: Russell T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Carr
mesh_terms: D016014:Linear Models; D012212:Rheology; D013395:Sucrose / Q000737:chemistry; D014783:Viscosity; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D014867:Water; D013395:Sucrose