Instabilities and nonlinear dynamics in 1D active nematic fluids with flow alignment

Abstract

The purpose of this work is to attain a clearer comprehension of the dynamic properties of active nematic fluids with flow alignment concentrating specifically on the coarsening dynamics in the nonlinear regime. We have proposed a 1D model and explored different dynamic evolutions in the nonlinear regime to compare the contrasting behaviour with and without flow alignment. In order to do so we have numerically simulated the system with different perturbations and observed their dynamic evolution. We have also addressed analytically the possible existence of a Lyapunov functional for non-zero flow alignment coefficient, with some partial conclusions on its form and possible approximation. Finally, we have checked the nonlinear nature of the primary instability