(4ar) Microstructure and Rheology of Rod-like Viruses at High Shear Rates Via Capillary Rheo-SANS

Rod-like particles are ubiquitous in solution, ranging from synthetic rods, to biofilaments, to worm-like surfactant solutions. The introduction of shear leads to complex thinning behavior, and there is an ongoing effort to understand how microstructural changes in these fluids are reflected in the resulting rheology, and whether or not these changes will cause flow instabilities. Using a solution of Fd bacteriophage as a model rod solution, we use capillary µrheo-SANS and flow birefringence as platforms with which to capture high-shear rheological behavior while simultaneously measuring the fluid microstructure. We find that orientational order climbs across six decades of shear, reaching regions of shear thinning and rod alignment past previously theorized limits, and seek a complete microscopic picture of flow behavior in rod-like fluids.

Research Interests:

My academic interests and projects revolve around colloidal physics and rheology, spanning from experimental single fiber dynamics and topology, to Brownian dynamics and hydrodynamics simulations. I am currently studying the evolution of rod-like particle fluids using a combination of techniques, such as capillary rheology, scattering, flow birefringence, and CFD simulations.