Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2002 / iii / Paper 53 / 3

With its material state fixed by a prescribed deformation history, the differential pom-pom model is a simple-fluid constitutive law. The stress depends on the local history of a material element through its molecular stretch and orientation, without gradients of that history between neighbouring elements. A differential representation does not prevent a material from being a simple fluid.

To see the history dependence explicitly, use the component-first velocity gradient $K$, so the tensor evolution is $D_{t}A=KA+A{K}^T-(A-I)/{\tau }_1$. Let $F(t,s)$ be the relative deformation gradient, satisfying ${\partial }_{t}F=K(t)F$ and $F(s,s)=I$. Along a material trajectory, an integrating factor givesThus $A$ is a functional of the local deformation history and its prepared initial state. If the initial $A$ is a positive-definite matrix, it retains that property, so $B=A/\mathrm{tr}A$ is well defined. Given this $B(t)$, the scalar stretch solves $\dot{\lambda }=r(t)\lambda +1/{\tau }_2$, where $r=B:K-1/{\tau }_2$. Its variation of constants formula again depends only on that local history:The differential pom-pom model also satisfies material frame indifference. Under an observer rotation, $A$ and $B$ transform as objective tensors, while $\lambda$ is a scalar. The extra skew part of the transformed velocity gradient has zero contraction with symmetric $B$, so the stretch equation is unchanged. The tensor evolution uses an upper-convected derivative, and the final stress transforms objectively. Initial values cannot be independently forgotten when specifying a finite-past experiment: a fully specified prepared state, such as rest, is part of the history specification.

At rest the tensor equation relaxes $A$ toward $I$ and the stretch equation relaxes $\lambda$ toward one. ThusThe equilibrium nonpressure stress $GI/3$ is isotropic and can be absorbed into the arbitrary pressure in incompressible flow.

For the linear response, put $A=I+a+O({\epsilon }^2)$, $\lambda =1+\ell +O({\epsilon }^2)$ and take the velocity gradient to be $O(\epsilon )$. The first-order tensor equation isIts matrix trace has no forcing, because incompressibility gives $\mathrm{tr}K=0$. Starting relaxed, $\mathrm{tr}a=0$. The first-order stretch equation is $D_t\ell +\ell /{\tau }_2=(I/3):K=0$, hence $\ell =0$. Consequently $B=I/3+a/3+O({\epsilon }^2)$, and its anisotropic stress is $Ga/3$. From the relaxed remote past,The linear and second-order response of the differential pom-pom model therefore hasThe stretch time ${\tau }_2$ does not enter the linear shear relaxation modulus.

For the second-order fluid constants, additionally make the slow-flow expansion: count $K$ as first order and $D_t$ as raising the order by one. IteratinggivesUsing the Rivlin-Ericksen tensor convention $A_2=D_t{A}_1+A_{1}K+K^T{A}_1$, the identityreduces this to $A=I+{\tau }_1{A}_1+{\tau }_1^2(2A_1^2-A_2)+O(3)$. Since $\mathrm{tr}{A}_2=\mathrm{tr}{A}_1^2$, normalization givesStretch first changes at second order. Its equation gives $\lambda -1={\tau }_1{\tau }_2\mathrm{tr}(A_1^2)/6+O(3)$. Multiplication by ${\lambda }^2$ therefore adds only an isotropic stress at second order; multiplying its second-order increment by the anisotropic first-order term would be third order. Absorb these isotropic corrections into $p_{\ast }$ to obtainComparison with the viscometric functions parametrization yieldsEquivalently, in $\sigma =-pI+{\mu }_0{A}_1+{\alpha }_1{A}_2+{\alpha }_2{A}_1^2$, the constants are ${\alpha }_1=-G{\tau }_1^2/3$ and ${\alpha }_2=2G{\tau }_1^2/3$. The general small-amplitude linear response above permits fast oscillation; the local second-order fluid expansion also requires the slow-flow ordering just used.

Choose the extending direction as $x$ and write $s=\dot{\gamma }>0$. The uniaxial extensional flow, satisfying incompressibility, hasStarting from rest, symmetry preserves $A=\mathrm{diag}(a,b,b)$. The differential pom-pom model tensor equation becomesPut $x=s{\tau }_1$. For $x\ne 1/2$, the solutions areIf $x<1/2$, both transients decay, givingIf $x>1/2$, the axial component is instead $a=(2x{e}^{(2x-1)t/{\tau }_1}-1)/(2x-1)$ and grows exponentially without bound, while $b\to 1/(1+x)$. At the boundary $x=1/2$, which lies between the two stated regimes, $a=1+t/{\tau }_1$ grows linearly and $b\to 2/3$.

Normalization makes the molecular orientation finite even when the unnormalized conformation tensor diverges. For $0\le x<1/2$, direct division by $a+2b$ givesFor $x>1/2$, the divergent axial component dominates the matrix trace, soThe same normalized limit holds at $x=1/2$, agreeing continuously with the limit of the subcritical expression. The limiting orientations have nonnegative eigenvalues and unit matrix trace, as required for the normalized molecular orientation.

Now set $S(t)=B(t):K=s(a-b)/(a+2b)$. Its limiting value isThe scalar stretch equation is $\dot{\lambda }=[S(t)-1/{\tau }_2]\lambda +1/{\tau }_2$. If $S_{\infty }<1/{\tau }_2$, its coefficient is eventually bounded above by a negative constant. The variation of constants formula gives a bounded solution, converging toIf $S_{\infty }>1/{\tau }_2$, the coefficient is eventually positive, and the positive stretch grows without bound. At equality a bounded stretch would imply $\dot{\lambda }\to 1/{\tau }_2>0$, which contradicts boundedness. Thus equality is not an additional bounded steady regime.

The function $S_{\infty }(s)$ is continuous and strictly increasing from zero to infinity. Consequently there is a unique critical extension rate defined byand the molecular stretch remains bounded precisely for $\dot{\gamma }<{\dot{\gamma }}_c$. This is distinct from the tensor threshold $\dot{\gamma }{\tau }_1=1/2$. If ${\tau }_2<2{\tau }_1$, for example, the normalized orientation can remain well defined and the stretch remain bounded for some rates above the tensor threshold; divergence of $A$ alone does not prove divergence of the physical stress.

In the requested doubly subcritical regime, write $D=1-s{\tau }_1-s^2{\tau }_1{\tau }_2>0$. The steady uniaxial extension of the differential pom-pom model hasThe isotropic pressure cancels from the tensile normal-stress difference. Hence the extensional viscosity isorIts zero-rate limit is $G{\tau }_1=3{\mu }_0$, recovering the Trouton ratio of three. The restrictions exclude both loss of a finite tensor steady state and loss of a finite stretch steady state; neither denominator may be continued through its singularity as a physical steady constitutive response.