Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2021 / iii / Paper 352 / 2 / a / Solution

In the Giesekus model, $\lambda$ is the viscoelastic relaxation time: after deformation stops, polymeric stress relaxes on that timescale. The parameter $\eta$ has dimensions of dynamic viscosity and is the model's zero-rate viscosity scale. Since $\lambda {\mathbf{\tau }}^2/\eta$ already has dimensions of stress, $\alpha$ is dimensionless.

The symbol $\stackrel{▽}{\tau }$ is the upper-convected derivativeThe convective and velocity-gradient terms account for translation, rotation, and affine stretching of material elements. They make the constitutive law objective under time-dependent rigid changes of observer.