Breakup of an active chiral fluid

TL;DR

This paper investigates the nonlinear breakup of an active chiral fluid strip, deriving analytical predictions for the breakup dynamics that align well with simulations and experiments.

Contribution

It introduces a theoretical framework using slender body theory to predict the breakup exponents of active chiral fluids, validated by simulations and experiments.

Findings

Strip thickness vanishes as a power law in finite time.

Analytical exponents match numerical simulations.

Experimental observations qualitatively agree with predictions.

Abstract

The nonlinear breakup dynamics of a strip of active chiral fluid is considered, and it is shown that the strip thickness goes to zero as a power law in finite time. Applying slender body theory to the hydrodynamic equations of active chiral fluids, we predict the exponents analytically, and our predictions are shown to be in excellent agreement with numerical simulations. Qualitative agreement between experiment and simulation is also found.