Flocking and mesoscale turbulence in three-dimensional active fluids

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Author: Perlekar, Prasad
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Perlekar, Prasad
author_facet Perlekar, Prasad
contents We numerically study the three-dimensional turbulence in a minimal model of an active fluid--the Toner-Tu-Swift-Hohenburg equation. For small activity, we observe bacterial turbulence, while for large activity, we uncover hitherto unexplored regime of a turbulent flock where a global order coexists with turbulence. We present a simple closure model that predicts the turbulent flock and also qualitatively explains the transition to the bacterial turbulence regime via a transcritical bifurcation.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2601_17674
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Flocking and mesoscale turbulence in three-dimensional active fluids
Perlekar, Prasad
Fluid Dynamics
Soft Condensed Matter
We numerically study the three-dimensional turbulence in a minimal model of an active fluid--the Toner-Tu-Swift-Hohenburg equation. For small activity, we observe bacterial turbulence, while for large activity, we uncover hitherto unexplored regime of a turbulent flock where a global order coexists with turbulence. We present a simple closure model that predicts the turbulent flock and also qualitatively explains the transition to the bacterial turbulence regime via a transcritical bifurcation.
title Flocking and mesoscale turbulence in three-dimensional active fluids
topic Fluid Dynamics
Soft Condensed Matter
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.17674