Continuum Nanofluidics

TL;DR

This paper develops an extended continuum theory for nanofluidic flows that incorporates molecular-scale effects and matches molecular dynamics simulations, providing a new framework for understanding momentum transport at the nanoscale.

Contribution

It introduces a novel continuum model that extends Navier-Stokes equations to include molecular rotational effects and non-local responses, validated against molecular dynamics data.

Findings

Excellent agreement with molecular dynamics simulations.

Provides practical tools for applying the extended theory.

Enhances understanding of momentum transport in nanofluidic systems.

Abstract

This paper introduces the fundamental continuum theory governing momentum transport in isotropic nanofluidic flows. The theory is an extension to the classical Navier-Stokes equation, which includes coupling between translational and rotational degrees of freedom, as well as non-local response functions that incorporates spatial correlations. The continuum theory is compared with molecular dynamics simulation data for both relaxation processes and fluid flows showing excellent agreement on the nanometer length scale. We also present practical tools to estimate when the extended theory should be used.