Three-dimensional active turbulence in microswimmer suspensions: simulations and modelling

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Gascó, Antonio, Pagonabarraga, Ignacio, Scagliarini, Andrea
Format: Preprint
Published: 2023
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author Gascó, Antonio
Pagonabarraga, Ignacio
Scagliarini, Andrea
author_facet Gascó, Antonio
Pagonabarraga, Ignacio
Scagliarini, Andrea
contents Active turbulence is a paradigmatic and fascinating example of self-organized motion at large scales occurring in active matter. We employ massive hydrodynamic simulations of suspensions of resolved model microswimmers to tackle the phenomenon in semi-dilute conditions at a mesoscopic level. We measure the kinetic energy spectrum and we detect a $k^{-3}$ power law regime. The velocity distributions are of Lévy type, a distinct difference with inertial turbulence. Furthermore, we propose a reduced order dynamical deterministic model for active turbulence, inspired to shell models for classical turbulence, whose numerical and analytical study confirms the spectrum powerlaw observed in the simulations and reveals hints of a non-Gaussian, intermittent, physics of active turbulence. Direct numerical simulations and modelling also agree in pointing to a phenomenological picture whereby, in the absence of an energy cascade à la Richardson forbidden by the low Reynolds number regime, it is the coupling between fluid velocity gradients and bacterial orientation that gives rise to a multiscale dynamics.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2304_03662
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Three-dimensional active turbulence in microswimmer suspensions: simulations and modelling
Gascó, Antonio
Pagonabarraga, Ignacio
Scagliarini, Andrea
Soft Condensed Matter
Fluid Dynamics
Active turbulence is a paradigmatic and fascinating example of self-organized motion at large scales occurring in active matter. We employ massive hydrodynamic simulations of suspensions of resolved model microswimmers to tackle the phenomenon in semi-dilute conditions at a mesoscopic level. We measure the kinetic energy spectrum and we detect a $k^{-3}$ power law regime. The velocity distributions are of Lévy type, a distinct difference with inertial turbulence. Furthermore, we propose a reduced order dynamical deterministic model for active turbulence, inspired to shell models for classical turbulence, whose numerical and analytical study confirms the spectrum powerlaw observed in the simulations and reveals hints of a non-Gaussian, intermittent, physics of active turbulence. Direct numerical simulations and modelling also agree in pointing to a phenomenological picture whereby, in the absence of an energy cascade à la Richardson forbidden by the low Reynolds number regime, it is the coupling between fluid velocity gradients and bacterial orientation that gives rise to a multiscale dynamics.
title Three-dimensional active turbulence in microswimmer suspensions: simulations and modelling
topic Soft Condensed Matter
Fluid Dynamics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2304.03662