Molecular-dynamics study of Poiseuille flow in a nanochannel and calculation of energy and momentum accommodation coefficients

SK Prabha and SP Sathian, PHYSICAL REVIEW E, 85, 041201 (2012).

DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.85.041201

We report a molecular-dynamics study of flow of Lennard-Jones fluid through a nanochannel where size effects predominate. The momentum and energy accommodation coefficients, which determine the amount of slip and temperature jumps, are calculated for a three-dimensional Poiseuille flow through a nano-sized channel. Accommodation coefficients are calculated by considering a "gravity"-(acceleration field) driven Poiseuille flow between two infinite parallel walls that are maintained at a fixed temperature. The Knudsen number (Kn) dependency of the accommodation coefficients, slip length, and velocity profiles is investigated. The system is also studied by varying the strength of gravity. The accommodation coefficients are found to approach a limiting value with an increase in gravity and Kn. For low values of Kn (<0.15), the slip length obtained from the velocity profiles is found to match closely the results obtained from the linear slip model. Using the calculated values of accommodation coefficients, the first-and second- order slip models are validated in the early transition regime. The study demonstrates the applicability of the Navier-Stokes equation with the second-order slip model in the early transition regime.

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