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Mechanochemical Feedback Drives Complex Inertial Dynamics in Active Solids.
Siddhartha Sarkar1,2, Biswarup Ash1, Yueyang Wu1
1University of Michigan, Department of Physics, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|January 20, 2026
Summary
Active solids can exhibit autonomous inertial dynamics when chemical fuel feedback overcomes damping. This research explores complex nonlinear behaviors like chaos in these active materials.
Area of Science:
- Soft Matter Physics
- Nonlinear Dynamics
- Active Matter
Background:
- Active solids exhibit nonequilibrium mechanics and autonomous motion via internal driving and elasticity.
- Inertia's role in active solids is underexplored, with most studies focusing on overdamped systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To model chemically active solids with mechanochemical feedback.
- To investigate the emergence of autonomous inertial dynamics.
- To analyze complex nonlinear behaviors driven by active feedback.
Main Methods:
- Development of a theoretical model for chemically active solids.
- Incorporation of mechanochemical feedback and mechanical damping.
- Numerical simulations and dynamical systems analysis.
Main Results:
- Autonomous inertial dynamics emerge when feedback surpasses damping, fueled by chemical energy.
- Active feedback drives complex nonlinear dynamics across multiple timescales.
- Limit cycles and chaotic behaviors are observed.
Conclusions:
- Active feedback in chemically powered solids can lead to spontaneous inertial motion.
- These findings offer design principles for ultrafast actuators and autonomous soft machines.
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