Hydrodynamic Mode Coupling: Effects of density variations in nanoscale channel flows

Abstract: We apply a modal framework for investigating the effect of density variations on gravity-type driven flows at the nanoscale. Using eigenfunction decomposition of the density and acceleration fields, each shear-pressure mode is separated into a homogeneous contribution and an inhomogeneous contribution determined by the Fourier amplitudes of the density and applied acceleration. This decomposition provides a direct means of identifying how density variations and external forcing couple and govern the flow behavior. We first revisit the Poiseuille flow and show that for channel heights larger than the characteristic intermolecular distance the homogeneous contribution dominates the long wave length (small wave vector) response, consistent with previous simulation results. In contrast, for sinusoidally driven flow, selective excitation of acceleration modes can produce the opposite behavior, with the inhomogeneous contribution dominating the long wave length response. The results show that the effect of the density variations depends on the specific flow; specifically the detailed mode coupling between the acceleration and density fields. The framework presented here provides a direct systematic approach for understanding and predicting the flow depending on the applied acceleration.