Dynamical arrest in active nematic turbulence

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Ido Lavi - , Simons Foundation, University of Barcelona (Author)
  • Ricard Alert - , University of Barcelona, ICREA - Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, Max-Planck-Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Center for Systems Biology Dresden (CSBD), Clusters of Excellence PoL: Physics of Life (Author)
  • Jean François Joanny - , College de France, Institut Curie (Author)
  • Jaume Casademunt - , University of Barcelona (Author)

Abstract

Active fluids display spontaneous turbulentlike flows known as active turbulence. Recent work revealed that these flows have universal features, independent of the material properties and of the presence of topological defects. However, the differences between defect-laden and defect-free active turbulence remain largely unexplored. Here, by means of large-scale numerical simulations, we show that defect-free active nematic turbulence can undergo dynamical arrest. This state is characterized by an emergent network of nematic domain walls that channels coherent streams and suppresses chaotic flows. As the system evolves, the branched wall network produces a large-scale pattern with treelike topological properties. We find that flow alignment—the tendency of nematics to reorient under shear—enhances large-scale chaotic jets in contractile rodlike systems while promoting dynamical arrest in extensile systems. We further show that dynamical arrest arises regardless of whether defects are prohibited by construction or simply fail to form due to a high energy cost of defect cores. Taken together, our findings reveal a striking pattern-formation mechanism, with labyrinths emerging from active turbulence, and illuminate the rich transitional regime between defect-free and defect-laden dynamics. These behaviors call for the experimental realization of active nematics at vanishing or low defect densities, and underscore that, in extensile rodlike nematics, topological defects enable turbulence by preventing dynamical arrest.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number013294
JournalPhysical Review Research
Volume8
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2026
Peer-reviewedYes

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas