The many behaviors of deformable active droplets

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2021

Abstract

Active fluids consume fuel at the microscopic scale, converting this energy into forces that can drive macroscopic motions over scales far larger than their microscopic constituents. In some cases, the mechanisms that give rise to this phenomenon have been well characterized, and can explain experimentally observed behaviors in both bulk fluids and those confined in simple stationary geometries. More recently, active fluids have been encapsulated in viscous drops or elastic shells so as to interact with an outer environment or a deformable boundary. Such systems are not as well understood. In this work, we examine the behavior of droplets of an active nematic fluid. We study their linear stability about the isotropic equilibrium over a wide range of parameters, identifying regions in which different modes of instability dominate. Simulations of their full dynamics are used to identify their nonlinear behavior within each region. When a single mode dominates, the droplets behave simply: as rotors, swimmers, or extensors. When parameters are tuned so that multiple modes have nearly the same growth rate, a pantheon of modes appears, including zigzaggers, washing machines, wanderers, and pulsators.

Identifier

85104333662 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.3934/MBE.2021145

e-ISSN

15510018

ISSN

15471063

PubMed ID

33892575

First Page

2849

Last Page

2881

Issue

3

Volume

18

Grant

2004469

Fund Ref

National Science Foundation

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