#7 Gravity waves in active liquids

Waves in the sea typically result from wind blowing uniformly over large areas. And in general, waves in fluids arise from external forces acting over broad regions. However, recent experiments have explored surface waves generated between an active liquid crystal and an isotropic liquid. In these systems, microscopic agents composing the active liquid crystal exert forces locally, leading to chaotic flows and non-linear surface waves.

Notably, when the two fluids have the same density, recent simulations suggest that the interface becomes unstable, breaking apart and dispersing droplets of the regular fluid into the active one. This hints that gravity may play a crucial role in stabilizing the interface.

In this project, we propose studying the wavelength and frequency spectrum of these waves, as well as the role of gravity in their stability. You will use computer simulations to quantify wave properties and investigate how gravity influences interface stability.