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Confinement Controls the Bend Instability of Three-Dimensional Active Liquid Crystals
Pooja Chandrakar1,2, Minu Varghese1, S Ali Aghvami1
1Department of Physics, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02453, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|January 8, 2021
Summary
Confinement controls the instability of 3D active liquid crystals. Changing channel size dictates the wavelength and growth rate of self-amplifying deformations in these dynamic fluids.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Materials Science
- Biophysics
Background:
- Active liquid crystals exhibit spontaneous long-wavelength deformations.
- These materials are composed of microtubule bundles and kinesin motors, creating dynamic fluid behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of confinement on the instability of 3D active liquid crystals.
- To understand how channel dimensions influence deformation wavelength and growth rate.
Main Methods:
- Systematic variation of channel size in 3D active liquid crystal systems.
- Observation and analysis of self-amplifying bend deformations in shear-aligned active fluids.
- Comparison of experimental findings with a minimal hydrodynamic model.
Main Results:
- Confinement significantly alters the instability of active liquid crystals.
- The fastest growing deformation is determined by a balance between active driving forces and elastic relaxation.
- Instability wavelength and growth rate are dependent on channel dimensions.
Conclusions:
- Confinement is a critical factor in determining the structure and dynamics of active fluids.
- The study provides insights into controlling active matter behavior through geometric constraints.
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