Defect states in compressible active polar fluids with turnover

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that turnover in compressible active polar fluids stabilizes defect structures, leading to various organized phases, which is crucial for understanding biological active matter organization.

Contribution

It introduces a hydrodynamic model showing how turnover stabilizes defects and creates diverse phases in active polar fluids, advancing understanding of biological active matter.

Findings

Turnover stabilizes defects in active polar fluids.

Different defect arrangements include lattices, foams, and vortex glasses.

Turnover is key to organizing biological active matter.

Abstract

Biological active matter like the cytoskeleton or tissues are characterized by their ability to transform chemical energy into mechanical stress. In addition, it often exhibits orientational order, which is essential for many cellular and morphogenetic processes. Experimental evidence suggests that defects in the orientational order field play an important role in organizing active stress. However, defects tend to annihilate unless the material is in a chaotic state or hydrodynamic interactions are suppressed. Using a hydrodynamic description of compressible active polar fluids, we show that turnover readily leads to a stabilization of defects. Depending on the turnover rate, topological defects arrange in a multitude of different phases, including lattices, active foams, and vortex glasses. Our work suggests that turnover plays a crucial role for organizing biological active matter.