Shear localization in large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) flows of particulate suspensions

Significant shear localization, observed as substantial concentration gradients, is discovered in large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) simulations of a complex fluid in a planar Couette setup. The localization is demonstrated to occur due to the inertial effects imposed by the oscillatory shear in LAOS, which serve as perturbations in the nonlinear equations describing the structural response of the fluid to shear. Additionally, a criterion for the onset of this shear localization is presented.