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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 8, 2026

Forming, Confining, and Observing Microtubule-Based Active Nematics
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Forming, Confining, and Observing Microtubule-Based Active Nematics

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Discontinuous transition to active nematic turbulence.

Malcolm Hillebrand1,2,3, Ricard Alert4,5,6,7,8,9

  • 1Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany.

Nature Communications
|December 15, 2025
PubMed
Summary

The transition to active turbulence in active fluids is discontinuous, featuring a sudden jump in velocity and bistability between laminar and chaotic flow states. This contrasts with continuous transitions observed in confined systems.

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Last Updated: Jan 8, 2026

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Area of Science:

  • Physics
  • Fluid Dynamics
  • Soft Matter Physics

Background:

  • Active fluids exhibit chaotic flows at low Reynolds numbers, termed active turbulence.
  • Statistical properties of active turbulence are understood, but the transition from laminar to turbulent flow remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate the transition from laminar to turbulent flow in unbounded, defect-free active nematics.
  • Characterize the nature of this transition, whether continuous or discontinuous.

Main Methods:

  • Simulations of a minimal model for active nematics.
  • Analysis of mean-squared velocity, bistability, hysteresis, and finite-time Lyapunov exponents.

Main Results:

  • The transition to active turbulence is discontinuous, marked by a jump in mean-squared velocity.
  • Bistability and hysteresis between laminar and chaotic flows were observed.
  • A critical activity number (A* ≈ 4900) was identified for the transition.
  • Subcritical bifurcations leading to oscillations and long chaotic transients occur below the transition.

Conclusions:

  • The transition to active turbulence in unbounded active nematics is discontinuous.
  • Long-range hydrodynamic interactions in Stokes flow likely suppress spatial coexistence of flow states, leading to the discontinuous transition.
  • Findings contrast with continuous transitions in confined systems.