Discontinuous shear thickening of a moderately dense inertial suspension of hydrodynamically interacting frictionless soft particles

Abstract

We demonstrate that discontinuous shear thickening (DST) can occur even in moderately dense, inertial suspensions of hydrodynamically interacting, frictionless soft particles. Using the Lubrication-Friction Discrete Element Method, our simulations reveal that DST can emerge at lower particle densities, provided that both the inertia of the suspended particles and their softness are sufficiently pronounced. Furthermore, we show that, under these conditions, the DST behavior obtained from the simulation qualitatively agrees with that predicted by kinetic theory, even without accounting for hydrodynamic interactions. These findings expand the understanding of DST in soft particle systems and highlight the importance of particle inertia and softness in controlling rheological behavior.