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Steady States of Sheared Active Nematics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 June 2015

Zhenlu Cui*
Affiliation:
The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, The Center for Defense and Homeland Security, Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville, NC 28301, USA
Xiaoming Zeng
Affiliation:
School of Mathematical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, Fujian, China
Jianbing Su
Affiliation:
School of Mathematics and Statistics, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, Jiangsu, China
*
*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

A continuum hydrodynamic model has been used to characterize flowing active nematics. The behavior of such a system subjected to a weak steady shear is analyzed. We explore the director structures and flow behaviors of the system in flow-aligning and flow tumbling regimes. Combining asymptotic analysis and numerical simulations, we extend previous studies to give a complete characterization of the steady states for both contractile and extensile particles in flow-aligning and flow-tumbling regimes. Another key prediction of this work is the role of the system size on the steady states of an active nematic system: if the system size is small, the velocity and the director angle files for both flow-tumbling contractile and extensile systems are similar to those of passive nematics; if the system is big, the velocity and the director angle files for flow-aligning contractile systems and tumbling extensile systems are akin to sheared passive cholesterics while they are oscillatory for flow-aligning extensile and tumbling contractile systems.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Global-Science Press 2014

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