# gst: spontaneous flow instability in active nematics; when quiescent and flowing states may coexist.

<< Active nematics exhibit spontaneous flows through a well-known linear instability of the uniformly aligned quiescent state. Here, (AA) show that even a linearly stable uniform state can experience a nonlinear instability, resulting in a discontinuous transition to spontaneous flows. In this case, quiescent and flowing states may coexist. >>

<< Through a weakly nonlinear analysis and a numerical study, (AA) trace the bifurcation diagram of striped patterns and show that the underlying pitchfork bifurcation switches from supercritical (continuous) to subcritical (discontinuous) by varying the flow-alignment parameter. >>

AA << predict that the discontinuous spontaneous flow transition occurs for a wide range of parameters, including systems of contractile flow-aligning rods. (AA) predictions are relevant to active nematic turbulence and can potentially be tested in experiments on either cell layers or active cytoskeletal suspensions. >>

Ido Lavi, Ricard Alert, et al. Nonlinear Spontaneous Flow Instability in Active Nematics. Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 238301. Jun 9, 2025.

https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.238301 

arXiv: 2403.16841v1 [cond-mat.soft].

https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.16841

Also: instability, turbulence, transition, in https://www.inkgmr.net/kwrds.html 

Also: Active nematics, in A. Doostmohammadi, et al. Nat Comm vol 9, no 3246 (2018). 

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-05666-8

Keywords: gst, instability, turbulence, transitions, supercritical-- subcritical bifurcations, active nematics.

# gst: discontinuous transitions to active nematic turbulence.

<< Active fluids exhibit chaotic flows at low Reynolds number known as active turbulence. Whereas the statistical properties of the chaotic flows are increasingly well understood, the nature of the transition from laminar to turbulent flows as activity increases remains unclear. Here, through simulations of a minimal model of unbounded active nematics, (AA) find that the transition to active turbulence is discontinuous. (They) show that the transition features a jump in the mean-squared velocity, as well as bistability and hysteresis between laminar and chaotic flows. >>

<< From distributions of finite-time Lyapunov exponents, (AA) identify the transition at a value A∗≈4900 of the dimensionless activity number. Below the transition to chaos, (They) find subcritical bifurcations that feature bistability of different laminar patterns. These bifurcations give rise to oscillations and to chaotic transients, which become very long close to the transition to turbulence. Overall, (Their) findings contrast with the continuous transition to turbulence in channel confinement, where turbulent puffs emerge within a laminar background. >>

AA << propose that, without confinement, the long-range hydrodynamic interactions of Stokes flow suppress the spatial coexistence of different flow states, and thus render the transition discontinuous. >>️

Malcolm Hillebrand, Ricard Alert. Discontinuous Transition to Active Nematic Turbulence. arXiv: 2501.06085v1 [cond-mat.soft]. Jan 10, 2025.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.06085

Also: chaos, transition, turbulence, in https://www.inkgmr.net/kwrds.html 

Keywords: gst, chaos, transition, turbulence, jumps, active nematics

# gst: quadrupolar stress drives collapse of nematic order on frictional substrates.

<< The field of active nematics has traditionally employed descriptions based on dipolar activity, with interactions that align along a single axis. However, it has been theoretically predicted that interactions with a substrate, prevalent in most biological systems, would require novel forms of activity, such as quadrupolar activity, that are governed by hydrodynamic screening. >>

<< Here, by combining experiments and numerical simulations, (AA) show that upon light-induced solidification of the underlying medium, microtubule-kinesin mixtures undergo a transformation that leads to a biphasic active suspension. Using an active lyotropic model, (They) prove that the transition is governed by screening effects that alter the dominant form of active stress. Specifically, the combined effect of friction and quadrupolar activity leads to a hierarchical folding that follows the intrinsic bend instability of the active nematic layer. >>

AA << results demonstrate the dynamics of the collapse of orientational order in active nematics and present a new route for controlling active matter by modifying the activity through changing the surrounding environment. >>️

Aleksandra Ardaseva, Ignasi Velez-Ceron, et al. Beyond Dipolar Activity: Quadrupolar Stress Drives Collapse of Nematic Order on Frictional Substrates. arXiv: 2407.03723v3 [cond-mat.soft]. Jan 14, 2025. 

https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.03723

Also: transition, collapse, in https://www.inkgmr.net/kwrds.html 

Keywords: gst, transition, collapse, active nematics, stress 

# gst: periodic defect braiding in active nematics confined to a cardioid.

AA' paper << examines self-mixing in active nematics, a class of fluids in which mobile topological defects drive chaotic flows in a system comprised of biological filaments and molecular motors. (They) present experiments that demonstrate how geometrical confinement can influence the braiding dynamics of the defects. >>️

<< Notably, (AA) show that confinement in cardioid-shaped wells leads to realization of the golden braid, a maximally efficient mixing state of exactly three defects with no defect creation or annihilation. >>

<< Increasing the size of the confining cardioid produces a transition from the golden braid, to the fully chaotic active turbulent state. >>️️

Fereshteh L. Memarian, Derek Hammar, et al. Controlling Chaos: Periodic Defect Braiding in Active Nematics Confined to a Cardioid. Phys. Rev. Lett. 132, 228301. May 28, 2024. 

https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.228301

https://x.com/PhysRevLett/status/1796622457303876000

Also: chaos, turbulence, particle, in https://www.inkgmr.net/kwrds.html 

Keywords: gst, chaos, turbulence, active nematics, cardioid