Nonlinear rheological response of colloidal glass

I review a first principles approach to the non-linear rheology of dense colloidal dispersions. Assuming homogeneous flow and neglecting hydrodynamic interactions, a theoretical description of the stresses, micro-structure, and particle motion close to a colloidal glass transition are developed. Results for large amplitude oscillatory shearing, step-strains, and other time-dependent transient deformation protocols provide a unifying description of the dispersion properties under general strains including non-stationary situations. Shear-thinning, plastic deformation and an-elastic behaviour are observed. Adding Brownian dynamics simulations, the shear-induced particle motion provides information on the microscopic transport mechanisms in the dense dispersions