Structure Factor in the Presence of Shear - an RPA Calculation

TL;DR

This paper calculates the structure factor of colloidal particles under shear using the RPA approximation, discussing its validity and implications for understanding particle interactions in a flowing fluid.

Contribution

It applies the RPA approximation to analyze the structure factor of colloids under shear, providing insights into the effects of shear on particle correlations.

Findings

RPA provides a useful approximation for structure factors under shear.

The validity range of the RPA in this context is discussed.

Implications for colloidal suspension behavior under flow are explored.

Abstract

We consider the structure factor of a system of colloidal particles immersed in a host liquid. Each particle is assumed to be affected by forces due to other particles, a drag force proportional to the velocity of the particle relative to the local velocity of the fluid and a fluctuating random noise. The effect of the particles on the velocity field of the host liquid is neglected. The problem is treated within the RPA approximation which is a widely used tool in many body theory. The validity of the RPA result is discussed.