Molecular dynamics simulation of flow past a plate

Abstract

Molecular dynamics simulations with a soft-sphere potential have been carried out to model two dimensional fluid flow obstructed by a plate. At fluid velocities large enough to obtain adequate signal to noise resolution, two counter-circulating vortices are observed behind the obstruction. The stationary state length scale of these vortices is found to be roughly proportional to the average velocity in the system, as predicted by the hydrodynamic theory.