Thermal Shear Waves Induced in Mesoscopic Liquids at Low Frequency Mechanical Deformation

Abstract We show that a confined viscous liquid emits a dynamic thermal response upon applying a low frequency (∼1 Hz) shear excitation. Hot and cold thermal waves are observed in situ at atmospheric pressure and room temperature, in a viscous liquid (polypropylene glycol) at various thicknesses ranging from 100 µm up to 340 µm, upon applying a mechanical oscillatory shear strain. The observed thermal effects, synchronous with the mechanical excitation, are inconsistent with a viscous behaviour. It indicates that mesoscopic liquids are able to (partly) convert mechanical shear energy in non-equilibrium thermodynamic states. This effect called thermo-elasticity is well known in solid materials. The observation of a thermal coupling to the mechanical shear deformation reinforces the assumption of elastically correlated liquid molecules. The amplitude of the thermo-elastic waves increases linearly by increasing the shear strain amplitude up to a transition to a non-linear thermal behavior, similar to a transition from an elastic to plastic regime. The thermo-elastic effects do not give rise to any change in stress measurements and thus the dynamic thermal analysis provides unique information about dynamic liquid properties.