We study the Brownian dynamics of hard spheres under spatially inhomogeneous shear, using event-driven Brownian dynamics simulations and power functional theory. We examine density and current profiles both for steady states and for the transient dynamics after switching on and switching off an external square wave shear force field. We find that a dense hard sphere fluid (volume fraction ≈ 0.35) undergoes global motion reversal after switching off the shear force field. We use power functional theory with a spatially nonlocal memory kernel to describe the superadiabatic force contributions and obtain good quantitative agreement of the theoretical results with simulation data. The theory provides an explanation for the motion reversal: Internal superadiabatic nonequilibrium forces that oppose the externally driven current arise due to memory after switching off. The effect is genuinely viscoelastic: in steady state, viscous forces oppose the current, but they elastically generate an opposing current after switch-off.

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Context. Co-orbital systems are bodies that share the same mean orbit. They can be divided into different families according to the relative mass of the co-orbital partners and the particularities of their movement. Janus and Epimetheus are unique in that they are the only known co-orbital pair of comparable masses and thus the only known system in mutual horseshoe orbit. Aims. We aim to establish whether the Janus-Epimetheus system might have formed by disruption of an object in the current orbit of Epimetheus. Methods. We assumed that four large main fragments were formed and neglected smaller fragments. We used numerical integration of the full N-body problem to study the evolution of different fragment arrangements. Collisions were assumed to result in perfectly inelastic merging of bodies. We statistically analysed the outcome of these simulations to infer whether co-orbital systems might have formed from the chosen initial conditions. Results. Depending on the range of initial conditions, up to 9% of the simulations evolve into co-orbital systems. Initial velocities around the escape velocity of Janus yield the highest formation probability. Analysis of the evolution shows that all co-orbital systems are produced via secondary collisions. The velocity of these collisions needs to be low enough that the fragments can merge and not be destroyed. Generally, collisions are found to be faster than an approximate cut-off velocity threshold. However, given a sufficiently low initial velocity, up to 15% of collisions is expected to result in merging. Hence, the results of this study show that the considered formation scenario is viable.

We study a two-dimensional binary mixture of patchy colloids in sedimentation-diffusion equilibrium using Monte Carlo simulation and Wertheim's theory. By tuning the buoyant masses of the colloids we can control the gravity-induced sequence of fluid stacks of differing density and percolation properties. We find complex stacking sequences with up to four layers and reentrant network formation, consistently in simulations and theoretically using only the bulk phase diagram as input. Our theory applies to general patchy colloidal mixtures and is relevant to understanding experiments under gravity.