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arXiv · 2506.20602

On the temperature of an active nematic

Jay Armas·Akash Jain·Ruben Lier
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Abstract

We employ a novel hydrodynamic framework for active matter coupled to an environment to study the local temperature of an active nematic, assuming proximity to thermal equilibrium. We show that, due to the mechanosensitivity of fuel consumption, linearized temperature correlations in a homogeneous active nematic steady state remain unaffected by activity. However, we demonstrate that local shearing and twisting cause a confined active nematic undergoing a spontaneous flow transition to develop a distinctive inhomogeneous temperature profile, serving as a thermal signature of activity.

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Jay Armas, Akash Jain, Ruben Lier. 2025-06-25. On the temperature of an active nematic. https://doi.org/10.1103/9gww-wmyq

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