Spatiotemporal boundary dissipation measurement in Taylor–Couette flow using diffusing-wave spectroscopy

Diffusing-wave spectroscopy (DWS) allows for the direct measurement of the squared strain-rate tensor. When combined with commonly available high-speed cameras, we show that DWS gives direct access to the spatiotemporal variations of the viscous dissipation rate of a Newtonian fluid flow. The method is demonstrated using a Taylor–Couette (TC) cell filled with a lipid emulsion or a TiO₂ suspension. We image the boundary dissipation rate in a quantitative and time-resolved fashion by shining coherent light at the experimental cell and measuring the local correlation time of the speckle pattern. The results are validated by comparison with the theoretical prediction for an ideal TC flow and with global measurements using a photomultiplier tube and a photon correlator. We illustrate the method by characterizing the spatial organization of the boundary dissipation rate past the Taylor–Couette instability threshold, and its spatiotemporal dynamics in the wavy vortex flow that arises beyond a secondary instability threshold. This study paves the way for direct imaging of the dissipation rate in a large variety of flows, including turbulent ones.