(117e) Probing the Link between the Microstructural Behavior and Bulk Response of Rod-like Viruses at High Shear Rates Via Capillary Rheo-SANS

The flow behavior and flow instabilities of complex fluids in shear, particularly that of solutions of long filaments, is studied due to their relevance in polymeric and worm-like micellar fluids. There is an ongoing effort to understand the shear thinning behavior of such solutions, how microstructural changes in the fluid are reflected in the resulting rheology, and whether or not these changes will lead to shear banding and other flow instabilities. Using a solution of Fd bacteriophage as a model rod system, we use capillary µrheo-SANS as a platform with which to perform rheological and structural measurements. As we push towards very high shear rates, we measure the functional dependence of the rotational diffusion coefficients and pair correlations between fibers on shear rate, flexibility, and other factors, with the ultimate aim of writing theoretical distribution functions that accurately capture and connect microstructure and bulk properties.