
Shear Viscosity in Two-Dimensional Dipole Systems
N. E. Djienbekov,1N. Kh. Bastykova,1A. M. Bekbussyn,1T. S. Ramazanov,1and S. K. Kodanova1, ∗
1Institute for Experimental and Theoretical Physics,
Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, 71 Al-Farabi ave., 050040 Almaty, Kazakhstan
The results of modeling shear flows in classical two-dimensional dipole systems are presented.
We used the method of non-equilibrium molecular dynamics to calculate the viscosity at various
shear rates. The coefficients of shear viscosity are given in the limit of low shear rates for various
regimes of interparticle correlation from a weakly correlated gaseous state to a strongly non-ideal
liquid state near the crystallization point. The calculations were carried out for bare (unscreened)
dipole systems, as well as for dipole systems in a polarizable medium that provide screening of the
dipole–dipole interaction. The effect of shear thinning in 2D dipole systems is reported at small
values of the coupling parameter. In addition, it is shown that dipole systems can become both less
and more viscous due to the presence of a screening medium, depending on the degree of interparticle
correlation. The optimal simulation parameters are discussed within the framework of the method
of nonequilibrium molecular dynamics for determining the shear viscosity of two-dimensional dipole
systems. Moreover, we present a simple fitting curve which provides universal scaling law for both
bare dipole - dipole interaction and screened dipole-dipole interaction.
I. INTRODUCTION
Two-dimensional systems governed by a repulsive
dipole-dipole pair interaction are relevant for various sys-
tems. For example, the repulsive dipole-dipole interac-
tion is used to describe two-dimensional colloidal sys-
tems [1–3]. In complex plasmas, the interaction between
charged dust particles can be modified due to external
fields and fluxes of ions and electrons [4–11]. It was shown
that a repulsive dipole-dipole interaction is realized in
complex plamsas at certain conditions [6,12–19]. Fur-
thermore, a system of polar molecules [20] and a dipole-
like excitonic phase state (created by bound electron-hole
excitons) can be described using a model of classical 2D
system of dipoles [21,22].
Aforementioned examples have motivated studies of
various properties of classical two-dimensional systems
using the repulsive dipole-dipole potential [23]. For ex-
ample, Khrapak et al [6] investigated thermodynamic and
dynamic properties of a classical 2D system of dipoles.
Earlier, the characteristic oscillation modes of particles
in the 2D dipole system were analyzed by Golden et
al [21,22]. In Refs. [21,22], it was demonstrated
that a dipolelike excitonic phase state created by bound
electron-hole excitons in semiconductors can be described
using model of a classical 2D system of repulsive dipoles.
These works on oscillation modes in 2D dipole systems
were continued by the study of the dumping of the trans-
verse excitations in the long wave length domain [24,25].
More recently, Aldakul et al [17] investigated melting,
freezing, and the liquid-crystal phase transition point of
classical 2D dipole systems. In this work, we extend these
studies of 2D dipole systems by modeling shear viscos-
ity and shear flows in classical 2D systems with repulsive
dipole interaction across coupling regimes.
∗kodanova@physics.kz
In addition to a standard dipole-dipole interaction, in
this work we use screened dipole-dipole interaction. In
the latter case screening can be due to a polarizable
medium surrounding 2D dipole system [16,17,26]. For
example, regarding aforementioned a dipolelike excitonic
phase state, it was recently shown that screening due to
excess charges modifies electron-hole excitons [27]. In
complex plasmas, the stream of ions creates a focused
ion cloud near a charged dust particle in downstream di-
rection due to attraction of ions by a negative charge
of a dust particle and the inelastic collision of ions with
atoms [28,29]. The focused ion cloud together with the
charged dust particle create an compound particle with
zero total charge and non-zero dipole moment [16]. Ad-
ditionally, hot electrons—with the electron Debye length
much larger than both the ion Debye length and the size
of the compound particle— provide screening of ion and
dust particle charges at long distance [16,30]. This leads
to the formation of the screened dipole-dipole interaction
between compound particles. The impact of screening on
the structural properties, oscillation modes, and thermo-
dynamic characteristics of 2D dipole systems has been
discussed in Ref. [17].
To compute the shear viscosity of 2D systems one
can use the reverse nonequilibrium molecular dynam-
ics method (NEMD)[31], [32]-[33]. This method was
used previously to investigate shear flows in classical 2D
Yukawa systems [33]. It was shown that the NEMD
allows to determine shear viscosity in a good agree-
ment with experimental observation [34]. Moreover, the
NEMD allows one to study a non-Newtonian fluid behav-
ior, i.e., when shear viscosity vary with the velocity gra-
dient. One of the peculiar properties of non-Newtonian
fluids is decrease of the viscosity as shear is increased.
This effect is referred to as shear thinning. For example,
following original studies on simple liquids by Evans et
al [35], such behavior has been reported in dusty plas-
mas [36]. Additionally, we compere results from the
NEMD simulations with the data for the shear viscos-
arXiv:2210.05123v1 [physics.plasm-ph] 11 Oct 2022