Superdiffusion and hydrodynamic phase separation in a uniaxial active suspension

ORAL

Abstract

We examine, analytically and to some extent numerically, the dynamics of the concentration
field in an active suspension with permanent uniaxial anisotropy. We show that in the
homogeneous phase the advection of fluctuations in the concentration, by the active flow
they themselves generate, leads to a superdiffusive dynamic exponent $z = d/2$ for
dimension $d<4$. We uncover a novel flow-induced contribution to active-particle currents
that can lead to a negative effective diffusivity on a cone of directions, and hence to a
purely hydrodynamic mechanism for phase separation. We suggest experimental tests of our
predictions.

Presenters

  • Lokrshi Dadhichi

    TIFR Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences

Authors

  • Lokrshi Dadhichi

    TIFR Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences

  • K Vijay Kumar

    TIFR-ICTS

  • J K Bhattacharjee

    Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science

  • Sriram Ramaswamy

    Indian Institute of Science, Physical Science, Indian Institute of Science, Indian Institute of Science - Dept of Physics, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560 012, Univ of Mass - Amherst, Physical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science