Nika Kralj (Author), Miha Ravnik (Author), Žiga Kos (Author)

Abstract

Various active materials exhibit strong spatio-temporal variability of their orientational order known as active turbulence, characterised by irregular and chaotic motion of topological defects, including colloidal suspensions, biofilaments, and bacterial colonies.In particular in three dimensions, it has not yet been explored how active turbulence responds to changes in material parameters and chirality.Here, we present a numerical study of three-dimensional (3D) active nematic turbulence, examining the influence of main material constants: (i) the flow-alignment viscosity, (ii) the magnitude and anisotropy of elastic deformation modes (elastic constants), and (iii) the chirality. Specifically, this main parameter space covers contractile or extensile, flow-aligning or flow tumbling, chiral or achiral elastically anisotropic active nematic fluids. The results are presented using time- and space-averaged fields of defect density and mean square velocity. The results also discuss defect density and mean square velocity as possible effective order parameters in chiral active nematics, distinguishing two chiral nematic states—active nematic blue phase and chiral active turbulence. This research contributes to the understanding of active turbulence, providing a numerical main phase space parameter sweep to help guide future experimental design and use of active materials.

Keywords

tekoči kristali;aktivni nematiki;topološki defekti;aktivne tekočine;liquid crystals;active nematics;topological defects;active fluids;

Data

Language: English
Year of publishing:
Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
Organization: UL FMF - Faculty of Mathematics and Physics
UDC: 538.9
COBISS: 202054403 Link will open in a new window
ISSN: 2399-3650
Views: 24
Downloads: 0
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Other data

Secondary language: Slovenian
Secondary keywords: tekoči kristali;aktivni nematiki;topološki defekti;aktivne tekočine;
Type (COBISS): Article
Pages: 9 str.
Volume: ǂVol. ǂ7
Issue: ǂart. no. ǂ222
Chronology: Jul. 2024
DOI: 10.1038/s42005-024-01720-8
ID: 24574117