Active matter


Active matter is composed of a large number of self-locomoting constituents, which are capable of converting the energy into motion, thereby driving the system out of thermodynamical equilibrium. If the interaction between constituents is nematic in symmetry, these systems are termed active nematics, and material examples include bacteria colonies, tissue, microtubule-kinesin mixtures and cytoskeleton. We study analytically and numerically the source of the active contribution to macroscopic stress tensor in nematodynamics and the near-field flow profiles of micro-swimmers in anisotropic nematic fluid, offering analytical insight into the source of the activity in biological active matter. Using a mesoscopic approach, we model the non-equilibrium dynamics of 3D active nematics and focus specifically on the dynamics of topological defects, that form spontaneously under sufficient activity or under geometrical constraints. We characterise the topology in active nematic turbulence confined to droplets and in cylindrical capillaries. 

Selected papers