Loss of evolution in the flow of viscoelastic fluids (Q1094220)

A fluid flow is evolutionary if the solution at a given time is an acceptable initial condition for the determination of the flow field at a later time. It is known that Maxwellian fluids conform to the requirement of evolution of the flow equations. The paper examines a variety of viscoelastic differential-type fluid models to see if the evolutionary character of the flow equations is sustained and the quasilinear Johnson-Segalman as well as the non- quasilinear White-Metzner models are treated in detail. Criteria for the evolutionary character are established by the discussion of the characteristic cone orientation and it is observed that loss of evolution may occur in the absence of purely viscous terms. A counter example is also shown in the case of the Johnson-Segalman fluid model. Comparison of the evolution criteria and the Clausius-Duhem inequality reveals that the two are not equivalent for the viscoelastic fluid models treated in the paper unlike in the case of the Maxwellian fluid.