Phase separation of binary mixtures in shear flow: A numerical study

The phase-separation kinetics of binary fluids in shear flow is studied num erically in the framework of the continuum convection-diffusion equation ba sed on a Ginzburg-Landau free energy. Simulations are carried out for diffe rent temperatures both in d=2 and 3. Our results confirm the qualitative pi cture put forward by the large-Rr limit equations studied by Corberi et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 3852 (1998)]. In particular, the structure factor is characterized by the presence of four peaks whose relative oscillations gi ve rise to a periodic modulation of the behavior of the rheological indicat ors and of the average domains sizes. This peculiar pattern of the structur e factor corresponds to the presence of domains with two characteristic thi cknesses, whose relative abundance changes with time.