TY - JOUR
T1 - Instabilities and pattern formation in active particle suspensions
T2 - Kinetic theory and continuum simulations
AU - Saintillan, David
AU - Shelley, Michael J.
PY - 2008/4/29
Y1 - 2008/4/29
N2 - We use kinetic theory and nonlinear continuum simulations to study the collective dynamics in suspensions of self-propelled particles. The stability of aligned suspensions is first analyzed, and we demonstrate that such suspensions are always unstable to fluctuations, a result that generalizes previous predictions by Simha and Ramaswamy. Isotropic suspensions are also considered, and it is shown that an instability for the particle stress occurs in that case. Using simulations, nonlinear effects are investigated, and the long-time behavior of the suspensions is observed to be characterized by the formation of strong density fluctuations, resulting in efficient fluid mixing.
AB - We use kinetic theory and nonlinear continuum simulations to study the collective dynamics in suspensions of self-propelled particles. The stability of aligned suspensions is first analyzed, and we demonstrate that such suspensions are always unstable to fluctuations, a result that generalizes previous predictions by Simha and Ramaswamy. Isotropic suspensions are also considered, and it is shown that an instability for the particle stress occurs in that case. Using simulations, nonlinear effects are investigated, and the long-time behavior of the suspensions is observed to be characterized by the formation of strong density fluctuations, resulting in efficient fluid mixing.
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U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.178103
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.178103
M3 - Article
C2 - 18518342
AN - SCOPUS:43049109537
SN - 0031-9007
VL - 100
JO - Physical Review Letters
JF - Physical Review Letters
IS - 17
M1 - 178103
ER -