Bicontinuity in active phase separation
Fuente:
arXiv
Enregistré dans:
| Auteurs principaux: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Preprint |
| Publié: |
2026
|
| Sujets: | |
| Accès en ligne: | |
| Tags: |
Ajouter un tag
Pas de tags, Soyez le premier à ajouter un tag!
|
| _version_ | 1866918335174672384 |
|---|---|
| author | Gulati, Paarth Zhao, Liang Tateno, Michio Saleh, Omar A. Dogic, Zvonimir Marchetti, M. Cristina |
| author_facet | Gulati, Paarth Zhao, Liang Tateno, Michio Saleh, Omar A. Dogic, Zvonimir Marchetti, M. Cristina |
| contents | We study phase separation between coexisting active and passive fluids in three-dimensions, using numerical simulation and experiments. Chaotic flows of the active phase drive giant interfacial deformations, causing the co-existing phases to interpenetrate and generate a continuously reconfiguring bicontinuous morphology which persists over the lifetime of the active fluid. Active bicontinuous structures are dominated by sheet-like interfaces, in marked difference from passive liquid-liquid phase separation which is controlled by saddle-like surfaces. Activity and surface tension control the length scale of the bicontinuous structure. These results demonstrate how active stresses suppress the coarsening of conventional phase separation, generating steady-state reconfigurable morphologies not accessible with conventional surface-modifying agents or through quenching of transient phase separated structures. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2601_03221 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Bicontinuity in active phase separation Gulati, Paarth Zhao, Liang Tateno, Michio Saleh, Omar A. Dogic, Zvonimir Marchetti, M. Cristina Soft Condensed Matter Biological Physics Fluid Dynamics We study phase separation between coexisting active and passive fluids in three-dimensions, using numerical simulation and experiments. Chaotic flows of the active phase drive giant interfacial deformations, causing the co-existing phases to interpenetrate and generate a continuously reconfiguring bicontinuous morphology which persists over the lifetime of the active fluid. Active bicontinuous structures are dominated by sheet-like interfaces, in marked difference from passive liquid-liquid phase separation which is controlled by saddle-like surfaces. Activity and surface tension control the length scale of the bicontinuous structure. These results demonstrate how active stresses suppress the coarsening of conventional phase separation, generating steady-state reconfigurable morphologies not accessible with conventional surface-modifying agents or through quenching of transient phase separated structures. |
| title | Bicontinuity in active phase separation |
| topic | Soft Condensed Matter Biological Physics Fluid Dynamics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.03221 |