Cavitation in anisotropic fluids

Sustained cavitation in the lubrication layer between a rotating heavy sphere and a nearby wall in a Newtonian fluid is an essential aspect of the motion. Here we extend these findings to the case of anisotropic materials using both shear-thinning and viscoelastic fluids. As in the case of Newtonian fluids, cavitation is observed but new interesting features emerge. These include the formation of long fingers that can either be steady or dynamic with apparent irregular interactions. © 2008 American Institute of Physics.