Connection between the anisotropic structure and nonlinear rheology of sheared colloidal suspensions investigated by Brownian dynamics simulations

Using Brownian dynamics simulations, we investigate the connection between the shear-induced microstructural distortion and nonlinear rheology of charged colloidal suspensions subject to steady shear. We demonstrate that their rate-dependent flow behavior is a consequence of localized elastic response, which we define as transient elastic zone (TEZ), generated by particle interaction. The body of colloids under shear behaves like an elastic solid in short distances but like a fluid at long distances. The short-lived, localized elastic region, i.e. transient elastic zone, plays a crucial role in determining the observed rheological behaviors. Our findings shed new light on understanding the nature of nonlinear rheology of soft matters with strong interactions.