Hydrodynamic theory of active matter

Area of Science:

• Soft Matter Physics
• Biophysics
• Thermodynamics

Background:

• Active soft materials, particularly biological matter, exhibit complex behaviors.
• Understanding these materials requires advanced theoretical frameworks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the general hydrodynamic theory of active soft materials.
• To present concepts of irreversible thermodynamics for active systems.
• To provide a framework for biological processes.

Main Methods:

• Irreversible thermodynamics of spatially extended multicomponent active systems.
• Analysis of entropy production, conjugate fluxes, and forces.
• Derivation of constitutive equations for active fluids and gels.

Main Results:

• Generic constitutive equations for polar active fluids and active gels.
• Discussion of angular momentum conservation in active chiral gels.
• A thermodynamic framework applicable to biological systems.

Conclusions:

• Irreversible thermodynamics offers a general framework for active gels.
• This framework can explain the physics of cellular and multicellular tissue processes.
• The theory is motivated by and applicable to biological matter.