Statistics of microscopic yielding in sheared aqueous foams

Abstract

We detail the statistical distribution of bubble rearrangements in a sheared two-dimensional foam. Such rearrangements, known as T1 events, are vital to mechanisms resulting in flow through microscopic mechanical yielding. We find that at a constant rate of shear, the rate of occurrence of T1 events shows only small fluctuations. This rate is however seen to vary significantly with a variation in the initial configuration of bubbles constituting the foam. In addition, we detail the spatial and orientational distribution of T1 events and relate them to the distribution of stresses in the bulk of the material. Some insights into the irreversibility of the dynamics are also discussed.