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Related papers: Spontaneous division and motility in active nemati…

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We show that the dominant mode of alignment plays an important role in dry active nematics,leading to two dynamical sub-classes defined by the nature of the instability of the nematic bands that characterize, in these systems, the…

Soft Condensed Matter · Physics 2019-01-16 Li-bing Cai , Hugues Chaté , Yu-qiang Ma , Xia-qing Shi

Non-equilibrium dynamics of topological defects can be used as a fundamental propulsion mechanism in microscopic active matter. Here, we demonstrate swimming of topological defect-propelled colloidal particles in (passive) nematic fluids…

Soft Condensed Matter · Physics 2021-09-30 Tianyi Yao , Žiga Kos , Yimin Luo , Edward B. Steager , Miha Ravnik , Kathleen J. Stebe

To enhance the understanding of the behavior of active nematic, it is important to understand the behavior of topological defects. In this paper, we study the configuration of topological defects of a two-dimensional active nematic around a…

Soft Condensed Matter · Physics 2026-02-16 Hiroki Matsukiyo , Jun-ichi Fukuda

Understanding the complexity of fragmentation processes is essential for regulating intercellular communication in mechanistic biology and developing novel bottom-up approaches in a large range of multiphase flow processes. In this context,…

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics · Physics 2019-05-09 François Sicard , Jhoan Toro-Mendoza , Alberto Striolo

Active matter, encompassing natural systems, converts surrounding energy to sustain autonomous motion, exhibiting unique non-equilibrium behaviors such as active turbulence and phase separation. In this study, we develop a continuum…

Soft Condensed Matter · Physics 2026-05-06 Sohail Ahmed , Zixiang Lin , Zijie Qu

We study numerically the behaviour of a mixture of a passive isotropic fluid and an active polar gel, in the presence of a surfactant favouring emulsification. Focussing on parameters for which the underlying free energy favours the…

Active matter comprises self-driven units, such as bacteria and synthetic microswimmers, that can spontaneously form complex patterns and assemble into functional microdevices. These processes are possible thanks to the out-of-equilibrium…

Soft Condensed Matter · Physics 2021-11-17 Jens Grauer , Falko Schmidt , Jesus Pineda , Benjamin Midtvedt , Hartmut Löwen , Giovanni Volpe , Benno Liebchen

The self-propulsion of +1/2 topological defects is a hallmark of active nematic fluids, where the defects are advected by the flow field they themselves generate. In this paper we propose a minimal model for defect self-propulsion in a…

Soft Condensed Matter · Physics 2025-08-08 Fridtjof Brauns , Myles O'Leary , Arthur Hernandez , Mark J. Bowick , M. Cristina Marchetti

The structure and dynamics of important biological quasi-two-dimensional systems, ranging from cytoskeletal gels to tissues, are controlled by nematic order, flow, defects and activity. Continuum hydrodynamic descriptions combined with…

Biological Physics · Physics 2024-12-03 Waleed Mirza , Alejandro Torres-Sánchez , Guillermo Vilanova , Marino Arroyo

Biological tissues have been observed to display emergent fluid-like properties, owing to physical interactions between cells. However, it remains unclear in general how these fluid-like properties affect tissue structure and function.…

Soft Condensed Matter · Physics 2026-02-24 Giulia L. Celora , Benjamin J. Walker , Mohit P. Dalwadi , Philip Pearce

The dynamics of a quasi two-dimensional isotropic droplet in a cholesteric liquid crystal medium under symmetric shear flow is studied by lattice Boltzmann simulations. We consider a geometry in which the flow direction is along the axis of…

Soft Condensed Matter · Physics 2018-07-13 Federico Fadda , Giuseppe Gonnella , Antonio Lamura , Enzo Orlandini , Adriano Tiribocchi

In vitro reconstituted active systems, such as the ATP-driven microtubule bundle suspension developed by the Dogic group, provide a fertile testing ground for elucidating the phenomenology of active liquid crystalline states. Controlling…

Soft Condensed Matter · Physics 2017-01-04 Pau Guillamat , Jordi Ignés-Mullol , Suraj Shankar , M. Cristina Marchetti , Francesc Sagués

The interplay between the chirality of many biological molecules and the energy injected at small length-scales as the result of biological processes is at the base of the life of the cells. With the aim of unveiling the connection between…

Soft Condensed Matter · Physics 2020-08-18 Livio Nicola Carenza , Giuseppe Gonnella , Davide Marenduzzo , Giuseppe Negro

Liquid-liquid phase separation is important across biology, physics, and materials science. Although usually studied at equilibrium, active components - such as motor proteins, enzymes, and synthetic microswimmers - are increasingly…

Soft Condensed Matter · Physics 2026-01-06 Kan Chang , Yulin Li , Ming Yuan , Masaki Sano , Zhihong You , H. P. Zhang

Topological defects are increasingly being identified in various biological systems, where their characteristic flow fields and stress patterns are associated with continuous active stress generation by biological entities. Here, using…

Soft Condensed Matter · Physics 2022-11-09 Lasse Bonn , Aleksandra Ardaseva , Romain Mueller , Tyler N. Shendruk , Amin Doostmohammadi

We propose a simple deterministic dynamic equation and reveal the mechanism of large-scale endless evolvement of spatial density inhomogeneity in active nematic. We determine the phase regions analytically. The interplay of density,…

Statistical Mechanics · Physics 2010-11-25 Xia-qing Shi , Yu-qiang Ma

Topological defects, which are singular points in a director field, play a major role in shaping active systems. Here, we experimentally study topological defects and the flow patterns around them, that are formed during the highly rapid…

Soft Condensed Matter · Physics 2024-03-20 Victor Yashunsky , Daniel J. G. Pearce , Gil Ariel , Avraham Be'er

We study the self-propulsion of spherical droplets as simplified hydrodynamic models of swimming microorganisms or artificial microswimmers. In contrast to approaches, which start from active velocity fields produced by the system, we…

Soft Condensed Matter · Physics 2017-06-28 R. Kree , P. S. Burada , A. Zippelius

We analyze the phase behavior of lyotropic nematic liquid crystals in the self-organizing flow, viz. so called active nematics (AN). Their elastic properties are mutually caused by evolution of topological defects (for instance,…

Soft Condensed Matter · Physics 2018-02-20 L. V. Elnikova

To further understand the complex behavior of swimming microorganisms, the spontaneous motion of nonliving matter provides essential insights. While substantial research has focused on quantitatively analyzing complex behavioral patterns,…

Soft Condensed Matter · Physics 2024-12-24 Riku Adachi , Hiroki Kojima , Takashi Ikegami