A Touch of Non-Linearity: Mesoscale Swimmers and Active Matter in Fluids

Explore a Lennard-Jones Centre discussion group seminar by Prof. Daphne Klotsa from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on mesoscale swimmers and active matter in fluids. Delve into the fascinating world of living matter and active-matter systems, examining their nonequilibrium hierarchical assembly and energy consumption at various scales. Discover how hydrodynamic interactions affect active particles as they increase in size or form larger aggregates, transitioning from microscopic Stokes flows to the intermediate Reynolds regime. Learn about simple model swimmers used to understand this transition, from single swimmers to pairwise interactions and collective behavior. Uncover how inertia can induce hydrodynamic interactions that generate novel phase behavior, steady states, and transitions, even in simple models. This 25-minute seminar, held on June 20th, 2022, offers valuable insights into the complex world of fluid dynamics and active matter systems.