Active nematics are intrinsically phase-separated

Abstract

Two-dimensional nonequilibrium nematic steady states, as found in agitated granular-rod monolayers or films of orientable amoeboid cells, were predicted [Europhys. Lett. {\bf 62} (2003) 196] to have giant number fluctuations, with standard deviation proportional to the mean. We show numerically that the steady state of such systems is {\em macroscopically phase-separated}, yet dominated by fluctuations, as in the Das-Barma model [PRL {\bf 85} (2000) 1602]. We suggest experimental tests of our findings in granular and living-cell systems.

4 pages, 6 .eps figures, accepted for publication in PRL 3 Aug 06

References in corpus (3)

• Novel type of phase transition in a system of self-driven particles
• Minimal model for active nematics: quasi-long-range order and giant fluctuations
• Spontaneously ordered motion of self-propelled particles

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