Self-generated gradients stabilize the hydrodynamic instabilities in active suspensions

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that chemical gradients generated by swimmers can stabilize ordered phases in active suspensions, counteracting hydrodynamic instabilities through a novel chemical communication mechanism.

Contribution

It introduces a stabilization mechanism via self-generated chemical gradients in active suspensions, expanding understanding of phase stability in diverse swimmer systems.

Findings

Chemical molecules mediate long-range interactions stabilizing ordered phases.

Stability depends on swimmer type, geometry, and dynamical properties.

Phase diagrams reveal conditions for stable and unstable states.

Abstract

Ordered phases emerged in active suspensions of polar swimmers are under long-wavelength hydrodynamic mediated instabilities. In this letter, we show that chemical molecules dissolved in aqueous suspensions, as an unavoidable part of most wet active systems, can mediate long-range interactions and subsequently stabilize the ordered phases. Chemoattractant in living suspensions and dissolved molecules producing phoretic forces in synthesized Janus suspensions are reminiscent of such molecules. Communication between swimmers through the gradients of such chemicals generated by individual swimmers, is the foundation of this stabilization mechanism. To classify the stable states of such active systems, we investigate the detailed phase diagrams for two classes of systems with momentum conserving and non-conserving dynamics. Our linear stability analysis shows how the stabilization mechanism can work for swimmers with different dynamical properties, e.g., pushers or pullers and with various static characteristics, e.g., spherical, oblate or prolate geometries.