Propagation of active nematic-isotropic interfaces on substrates

Abstract

Motivated by results for the propagation of active-passive interfaces of bacterial Serratia marcescens swarms [Nat. Comm., 9, 5373 (2018)] we use a hydrodynamic multiphase model to investigate the propagation of interfaces of active nematics on substrates. We characterize the active nematic phase of the model and discuss its description of the statistical dynamics of the swarms. We show that the velocicity correlation functions and the energy spectrum of the active turbulent phase of the model scale with the active length, for a range of activities. In addition, the energy spectrum exhibits two power-law regimes with exponents close to those reported for other models and bacterial swarms. Although the exponent of the rising branch of the spectrum (small wavevector) appears to be independent of the activity, the exponent of the decay changes with activity systematically, albeit slowly. We characterize also the propagation of circular and flat active-passive interfaces. We find that the closing time of the circular passive domain decays quadratically with the activity and that the structure factor of the flat interface is similar to that reported for swarms, with an activity dependent exponent. Finally, the effect of the substrate friction was investigated. We found an activity dependent threshold, above which the turbulent active nematic forms isolated islands that shrink until the system becomes isotropic and below which the active nematic expands, with a well defined propagating interface. The interface may be stopped by a fricion gradient.