Order in polymeric liquids under oscillatory shear flow

We examine the second order orientation tensor for the simplest molecular model relevant to a polymeric liquid in large-amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) flow, the rigid dumbbell suspension. For this, we use an approximate solution to the diffusion equation for rigid dumbbells, an expansion for the orientation distribution function truncated after the fourth power of the shear rate amplitude. We then calculate the second order orientation tensor, and then use this to calculate the order parameter tensor. We next examine the invariants of both the second order orientation tensor and the order parameter tensor. From the second invariant of the order parameter tensor, we calculate the scalar, the nematic order, and examine its evolution for a polymeric liquid in LAOS. We find this nematic order, our main result, to be even. We use Lissajous figures to illustrate the roles of the Weissenberg and Deborah numbers on the evolving order in LAOS. We use the low frequency limit of our main result to arrive at an expression for the nematic order in steady shear flow. Our work gives a first glimpse into macromolecular order in LAOS. Our work also provides analytical benchmarks for numerical solutions to the diffusion equation for both oscillatory and steady shear flows.