Taylor's experiment in a periodically sheared particulate suspension

Abstract

We revisit Taylor's experiment investigating the evolution of a blob of dye in a periodically sheared suspension of non-Brownian particles. Above a critical strain amplitude, particulate suspensions are subject to phase transition where reversibility is lost and particles fail to return to their original positions. We investigate the effect of this transition on the dispersion of a blob of dye. Beyond the critical strain, the dispersion of the blob is found to increase significantly. The dispersion coefficient of the blob of dye is measured and compared to the self-diffusivity coefficient of the particles.