#2 Flexible particles in active turbulence

Active matter is a very “active” research topic today. Many of these systems exhibit collective behaviors that are not easily described by existing physical theories, which has led to great theoretical development in recent years. We can observe these systems in suspensions of bacteria, sperm, mixtures of microtubules and kinesin, among other micro-swimmers. In this project we will study the dynamics of flexible capsules suspended in an active nematic, which is a form of active matter in which particles tend to align with their neighbors. We will use fluid simulations based on the lattice-Boltzmann method to understand how the flexibility and shape of a capsule suspended in active nematics can change its dynamics. We will also study how these capsules interact with fixed obstacles.