Nonlinear spontaneous flow instability in active nematics
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arXiv
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2024
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| _version_ | 1866911523505438720 |
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| author | Lavi, Ido Alert, Ricard Joanny, Jean-François Casademunt, Jaume |
| author_facet | Lavi, Ido Alert, Ricard Joanny, Jean-François Casademunt, Jaume |
| contents | Active nematics exhibit spontaneous flows through a well-known linear instability of the uniformly-aligned quiescent state. Here we show that even a linearly stable uniform state can experience a nonlinear instability, resulting in a discontinuous transition to spontaneous flows. In this case, quiescent and flowing states may coexist. Through a weakly nonlinear analysis and a numerical study, we trace the bifurcation diagram of striped patterns and show that the underlying pitchfork bifurcation switches from supercritical (continuous) to subcritical (discontinuous) by varying the flow-alignment parameter. We predict that the discontinuous spontaneous flow transition occurs for a wide range of parameters, including systems of contractile flow-aligning rods. Our predictions are relevant to active nematic turbulence and can potentially be tested in experiments on either cell layers or active cytoskeletal suspensions. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2403_16841 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Nonlinear spontaneous flow instability in active nematics Lavi, Ido Alert, Ricard Joanny, Jean-François Casademunt, Jaume Soft Condensed Matter Biological Physics Active nematics exhibit spontaneous flows through a well-known linear instability of the uniformly-aligned quiescent state. Here we show that even a linearly stable uniform state can experience a nonlinear instability, resulting in a discontinuous transition to spontaneous flows. In this case, quiescent and flowing states may coexist. Through a weakly nonlinear analysis and a numerical study, we trace the bifurcation diagram of striped patterns and show that the underlying pitchfork bifurcation switches from supercritical (continuous) to subcritical (discontinuous) by varying the flow-alignment parameter. We predict that the discontinuous spontaneous flow transition occurs for a wide range of parameters, including systems of contractile flow-aligning rods. Our predictions are relevant to active nematic turbulence and can potentially be tested in experiments on either cell layers or active cytoskeletal suspensions. |
| title | Nonlinear spontaneous flow instability in active nematics |
| topic | Soft Condensed Matter Biological Physics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.16841 |