Perspectives on viscoelastic flow instabilities and elastic turbulence

Abstract

Viscoelastic fluids can exhibit striking flow instabilities under conditions where ordinary Newtonian fluids are stable, owing to the nonlinear coupling of the elastic and viscous stresses. This article provides perspectives on viscoelastic flow instabilities by integrating the input from speakers at a recent international workshop: historical remarks, characterization of fluids and flows, discussion of experimental and simulation tools, and modern questions and puzzles that motivate further studies of this fascinating subject. The materials here will be useful for researchers and educators alike, especially as the subject continues to evolve in both fundamental understanding and applications in engineering and the sciences.