Wave speed in an active elastic solid

This work numerically calculates the wave speed of a pulse propagating on an active elastic solid (defined as a one-dimensional network of active stochastic particles interacting by nonlinear hard springs) under tension. Notice that in this model, the rotational dynamics of each particle is stochastic and independent from the others. By proposing a discrete analysis, it is found that the wave speed in active solids is higher than in a passive one, and that it depends on the amplitude of the pulse. Surprisingly, it is found that at steady state, tension along the active solid is not uniform; in other words, the separation distance between the active beads is not even, thus deviating from equilibrium mechanics in which a passive solid is seen to have an even tension and an even separation between beads.