Morphological evolution patterns of intrinsically curved flexible fibers in a simple linear shear flow

Abstract

The dynamics of flexible fibers remains complex in a linear shear flow. Although this problem has been extensively investigated, the effect of intrinsic curvature has received comparatively little attention. Actually, the fiber often possesses a finite intrinsic curvature, making the commonly assumed straight configuration an idealization that may not accurately represent realistic behavior. In this study, the effect of intrinsic curvature is incorporated into the analysis. Using a simplified bead-chain model, we simulate the motion of flexible fibers in a linear shear flow and identify several distinct morphological evolution patterns. Based on the dynamical characteristics of patterns, we propose a procedure to efficiently distinguish between these patterns. Furthermore, phase diagrams are obtained in the parameter space of intrinsic curvature angle and the bending-to-hydrodynamic ratio. The results show that fiber dynamics is highly sensitive to intrinsic curvature when it is small, but once the curvature angle exceeds a critical threshold, i.e., θ≈0.4π, the morphological evolution of fibers depends primarily on the bending-to-hydrodynamic ratio. Additionally, transitions between different patterns are mainly controlled by the competition between intrinsic curvature and hydrodynamically induced bending.