Emergence of dynamic vortex glasses in disordered polar active fluids

DOI10.1073/PNAS.2018218118MaRDI QIDQ5073285zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Amélie Chardac, Suraj Shankar, D. Bartolo

Publication date 5 May 2022

Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/2002.12893

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Vortex methods applied to problems in fluid mechanics (76M23)

Abstract: In equilibrium, disorder conspires with topological defects to redefine the ordered states of matter in systems as diverse as crystals, superconductors and liquid crystals. Far from equilibrium, however, the consequences of quenched disorder on active condensed matter remain virtually uncharted. Here, we reveal a state of strongly disordered active matter with no counterparts in equilibrium: a dynamical vortex glass. Combining high-content microfluidic experiments and theory, we show how colloidal flocks collectively cruise through disorder without relaxing the topological singularities of their flows. The resulting state is highly dynamical but the flow patterns, shaped by a finite density of frozen vortices, are stationary and exponentially degenerated. Quenched isotropic disorder acts as a random gauge field turning active liquids into dynamical vortex glasses. We argue that this robust mechanism should shape the collective dynamics of a broad class of disordered active matter, from synthetic active nematics to collections of living cells exploring heterogeneous media.

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Cites work

• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3224467 (Why is no real title available?)
• Hydrodynamics and phases of flocks
• Topological transitions and freezing in \(XY\) models and Coulomb gases with quenched disorder: Renormalization via traveling waves
• Transition from turbulent to coherent flows in confined three-dimensional active fluids

Cited in

(4)

• Emergence of self-organized multivortex states in flocks of active rollers
• Bulk topological states in a new collective dynamics model
• How active forces influence nonequilibrium glass transitions
• Migration and deformation of a droplet enclosing an active particle

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