Dynamical arrest in active nematic turbulence

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that defect-free active nematic turbulence can undergo dynamical arrest, forming a nematic wall network that suppresses chaos, with flow alignment influencing the transition differently in contractile and extensile systems.

Contribution

It reveals the conditions under which active nematic turbulence transitions to a dynamically arrested state, highlighting the role of nematic walls and flow alignment in defect-free systems.

Findings

Dynamical arrest characterized by nematic domain walls and pattern formation.

Flow alignment enhances chaos in contractile systems and promotes arrest in extensile systems.

Dynamical arrest occurs regardless of defect presence or formation energy.

Abstract

Active fluids display spontaneous turbulent-like flows known as active turbulence. Recent work revealed that these flows have universal features, independent of the material properties and of the presence of topological defects. However, the differences between defect-laden and defect-free active turbulence remain largely unexplored. Here, by means of large-scale numerical simulations, we show that defect-free active nematic turbulence can undergo dynamical arrest. This state is characterized by an emergent network of nematic domain walls that channels coherent streams and suppresses chaotic flows. As the system evolves, the branched wall network produces a large-scale pattern with tree-like topological properties. We find that flow alignment -- the tendency of nematics to reorient under shear -- enhances large-scale chaotic jets in contractile rodlike systems while promoting dynamical arrest in extensile systems. We further show that dynamical arrest persists regardless of whether defects are prohibited by construction or simply fail to form due to a high energy cost of defect cores. Taken together, our findings reveal a striking pattern-formation mechanism, with labyrinths emerging from active turbulence, and illuminate the rich transitional regime between defect-free and defect-laden dynamics. These behaviors call for the experimental realization of active nematics at vanishing or low defect densities, and underscore that, in extensile rodlike nematics, topological defects enable turbulence by preventing dynamical arrest.