Existence results for the 3-D regular flows of viscoelastic fluids with a differential constitutive law of White–Metzner type

This paper is concerned with incompressible viscoelastic fluids which obey a differential constitutive law of White–Metzner type. We establish the existence and uniqueness of local solutions in 3-D as well as the global existence of small solutions. We then deduce the existence and asymptotic stability of small periodic and stationary solutions. Finally, we prove that the 2-D results obtained in Hakim (J. Math. Anal. Appl. 185 (1994) 675–705) remain true without any restriction on the smallness of the retardation parameter which is the linking coefficient between the equation of velocity (Navier–Stokes equation) and the transport equation verified by the extra-stress tensor. To cite this article: L. Molinet, R. Talhouk, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 338 (2004). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]