Mach cones in a viscoelastic fluid

Abstract eng:
Mach cones created by a falling sphere are observed experimentally in a viscoelastic fluid. The fluid used is a dilute wormlike micelle solution of cetyletrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium salicylate (NaSal) dissolved in water. A sphere falls through the fluid faster than the speed of shear waves. Mach cones are clearly observed in vorticity fields. They have a multiple-cone structure. The first cone is involved with forward shearing motion in the direction induced by the falling sphere, and it is followed by weaker cones with backward shearing motion accompanied by a relaxation of the initial shearing motion. The results suggest the importance of considering shear-wave-based Mach numbers that facilitates the understanding of a complex phenomenon associated with viscoelastic fluid flows.

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