Aondoyima Gerald Ioratim-Uba

From liquid crystals to active matter

Active matter refers to collections of particles which, individually, convert energy (either internal or absorbed from their surroundings) into systematic motion. This requires the system of particles to be out of thermodynamic equilibrium. These systems often give rise to collective motion and emergent patterns, and real world examples include flocks of animals, bacterial swarms, and cells. In this talk I will show how the well understood physics of liquid crystals, which are materials that have properties of both solids and liquids, can be used to describe active matter.