Active Viscoelastic Matter: From Bacterial Drag Reduction to Turbulent Solids

Hemingway, E.J.; Maitra, A.; Banerjee, S.; Marchetti, M.C.; Ramaswamy, S.; Fielding, S.M.; Cates, M.E.

Abstract

A paradigm for internally driven matter is the active nematic liquid crystal, whereby the equations of a conventional nematic are supplemented by a minimal active stress that violates time-reversal symmetry. In practice, active fluids may have not only liquid-crystalline but also viscoelastic polymer degrees of freedom. Here we explore the resulting interplay by coupling an active nematic to a minimal model of polymer rheology. We find that adding a polymer can greatly increase the complexity of spontaneous flow, but can also have calming effects, thereby increasing the net throughput of spontaneous flow along a pipe (a “drag-reduction” effect). Remarkably, active turbulence can also arise after switching on activity in a sufficiently soft elastomeric solid.

Citation

Hemingway, E., Maitra, A., Banerjee, S., Marchetti, M., Ramaswamy, S., Fielding, S., & Cates, M. (2015). Active Viscoelastic Matter: From Bacterial Drag Reduction to Turbulent Solids. Physical Review Letters, 114(9), Article 098302. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.114.098302

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Mar 5, 2015
• Deposit Date: Mar 11, 2015
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 13, 2015
• Journal: Physical Review Letters
• Print ISSN: 0031-9007
• Electronic ISSN: 1079-7114
• Publisher: American Physical Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 114
• Issue: 9
• Article Number: 098302
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.114.098302
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1411445