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Defects show self-constraint in active nematics

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Studies of a biological active nematic fluid reveal a spontaneous self-constraint that arises between self-motile topological defects and mesoscale coherent flow structures. The defects follow specific contours of the flow field, on which vorticity and strain rate balance, and hence, contrary to expectation, they break mirror symmetry.

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Fig. 1: Positive defects reside on viscometric lines.

References

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This is a summary of: Head, L. C. et al. Spontaneous self-constraint in active nematic flows. Nat. Phys. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-023-02336-5 (2024).

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Defects show self-constraint in active nematics. Nat. Phys. 20, 360–361 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-023-02352-5

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