Computer simulations of domain growth in off-critical quenches of two-dimensional binary mixtures

TL;DR

This study uses numerical Langevin simulations to explore how domains grow and behave during phase separation in two-dimensional binary mixtures, with and without shear flow, revealing flow-induced distortions and specific structural features.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the effects of shear flow on domain morphology and viscosity during phase separation in binary mixtures.

Findings

Domains are distorted by shear flow.

The structure factor exhibits four peaks.

Excess viscosity peaks are shear rate independent in position.

Abstract

The phase separation of two-dimensional binary mixtures has been studied through numerical Langevin simulations based on a Ginzburg-Landau free energy. We have considered not symmetric mixtures with and without imposed shear flow. In the sheared case our main results are as follows: (1) domains are distorted by the flow; (2) the structure factor has four peaks; (3) excess viscosity shows a peak whose position is independent of shear rate but its height decreases increasing shear rate.