Abstract:

The Onsager variational principle is a fundamental law for irreversible processes in nonequilibrium statistical physics. It has been used to model many complicated phenomena in soft matter. In this talk, we will show it acts as a powerful approximation tool for some two-phase flow problems with moving contact lines. In particular, one can use it to derive coarse-graining boundary conditions for dynamic contact angle hysteresis on rough surfaces. It can be used to derive efficient numerical methods for wetting problems on inhomogeneous surfaces.