Speaker: Dr. Xiao-Gang Yang, Beijing Computational Science Research Center

Abstract: I systematically derive a continuum model for active liquid crystals that is consistent with thermodynamics and is capable of describing polar as well as apolar active liquid crystals. I then focus on one of its limits, a model for polar active liquid crystals. With this model, I firstly carry out a linear stability analysis about constant steady states to study near hydrodynamic equilibrium dynamics, revealing long-wave instability inherent in this model system and how the active parameters in the model affect the instability. I then study model predictions for 1-D spatial-temporal structures of active liquid crystals in a channel subject to physical boundary conditions. Next, I calculate various patterns and their dependence on model parameters in 2 spatial dimensions. In the end, I study the linear stability of an infinitely long, axisymmetric, cylindrical active liquid crystal (ALC) jet in a passive isotropic fluid matrix and identify three possible unstable modes as the result of flow and active motion interaction.

Date&Time: September 12, 2014 (Friday), 14:30–15:30
Location: 606 Conference Room