Dynamics of prolate spheroidal elastic particles in confined shear flow.

We investigate through numerical simulations the dynamics of a neo-Hookean elastic prolate spheroid suspended in a Newtonian fluid under shear flow. Both initial orientations of the particle within and outside the shear plane and both unbounded and confined flow geometries are considered. In unbounded flow, when the particle starts on the shear plane, two stable regimes of motion are found, i.e., trembling, where the particle shape periodically elongates and compresses in the shear plane and the angle between its major semiaxis and the flow direction oscillates around a positive mean value, and tumbling, where the particle shape periodically changes and its major axis performs complete revolutions around the vorticity axis. When the particle is initially oriented out of the shear plane, more complex dynamics arise. Geometric confinement of the particle between the moving walls also influences its deformation and regime of motion. In addition, when the particle is initially located in an asymmetric position with respect to the moving walls, particle lateral migration is detected. The effects on the particle dynamics of the geometric and physical parameters that rule the system are investigated.