event
Tuesday 26 Nov 2019: Dynamics Seminar: Self-propelled Topological Defects
Julia M. Yeomans - University of Oxford
Harrison 103 13:30-15:30
Active materials such as bacteria, molecular motors and eukaryotic cells continuously transform chemical energy taken from their surroundings to mechanical work. Dense active matter shows mesoscale turbulence, the emergence of chaotic flow structures characterised by high vorticity and self-propelled topological defects.
I shall describe the physics of mesoscale turbulence and active defects and discuss applications to cell motility. In particular recent results indicate that active topological defects may help to regulate turnover in epithelial cell layers and contribute to controlling the spread of bacterial colonies.