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Register a new userAutonomous actuation of zero modes in mechanical networks far from equilibrium
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Added by
Francis G. Woodhouse
Publication date
2018
fields
Physics
and research's language is
English
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A zero mode, or floppy mode, is a non-trivial coupling of mechanical components yielding a degree of freedom with no resistance to deformation. Engineered zero modes have the potential to act as microscopic motors or memory devices, but this requires an internal actuation mechanism that can overcome unwanted fluctuations in other modes and the dissipation inherent in real systems. In this work, we show theoretically and experimentally that complex zero modes in mechanical networks can be selectively mobilized by non-equilibrium activity. We find that a correlated active bath actuates an infinitesimal zero mode while simultaneously suppressing fluctuations in higher modes compared to thermal fluctuations, which we experimentally mimic by high frequency shaking of a physical network. Furthermore, self-propulsive dynamics spontaneously mobilise finite mechanisms as exemplified by a self-propelled topological soliton. Non-equilibrium activity thus enables autonomous actuation of coordinated mechanisms engineered through network topology.
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The interfacial free energy is a central quantity in crystallization from the meta-stable melt. In suspensions of charged colloidal spheres, nucleation and growth kinetics can be accurately measured from optical experiments. In previous work, from this data effective non-equilibrium values for the interfacial free energy between the emerging bcc-nuclei and the adjacent melt in dependence on the chemical potential difference between melt phase and crystal phase were derived using classical nucleation theory. A strictly linear increase of the interfacial free energy was observed as a function of increased meta-stability. Here, we further analyze this data for five aqueous suspensions of charged spheres and one binary mixture. We utilize a simple extrapolation scheme and interpret our findings in view of Turnbulls empirical rule. Our first estimates for the reduced interfacial free energy, $sigma_{0,bcc}$, between coexisting equilibrium uid and bcc-crystal phases are on the order of a few $k_BT$. Their values are not correlated to any of the electrostatic interaction parameters but rather show a systematic decrease with increasing size polydispersity and a lower value for the mixture as compared to the pure components. At the same time, $sigma_0$ also shows an approximately linear correlation to the entropy of freezing. The equilibrium interfacial free energy of strictly monodisperse charged spheres may therefore be still greater.
Topological mechanics can realize soft modes in mechanical metamaterials in which the number of degrees of freedom for particle motion is finely balanced by the constraints provided by interparticle interactions. However, solid objects are generally hyperstatic (or overconstrained). Here, we show how symmetries may be applied to generate topological soft modes even in overconstrained, rigid systems. To do so, we consider non-Hermitian topology based on non-square matrices, and design a hyperstatic material in which low-energy modes protected by topology and symmetry appear at interfaces. Our approach presents a novel way of generating softness in robust scale-free architectures suitable for miniaturization to the nanoscale.
By embedding inert tracer particles (TPs) in a growing multicellular spheroid the local stresses on the cancer cells (CCs) can be measured. In order for this technique to be effective the unknown effect of the dynamics of the TPs on the CCs has to be elucidated to ensure that the TPs do not greatly alter the local stresses on the CCs. We show, using theory and simulations, that the self-generated (active) forces arising from proliferation and apoptosis of the CCs drive the dynamics of the TPs far from equilibrium. On time scales less than the division times of the CCs, the TPs exhibit sub-diffusive dynamics (the mean square displacement, $Delta_{TP}(t) sim t^{beta_{TP}}$ with $beta_{TP}<1$), similar to glass-forming systems. Surprisingly, in the long-time limit, the motion of the TPs is hyper-diffusive ($Delta_{TP}(t) sim t^{alpha_{TP}}$ with $alpha_{TP}>2$) due to persistent directed motion for long times. In comparison, proliferation of the CCs randomizes their motion leading to superdiffusive behavior with $alpha_{CC}$ exceeding unity. Most importantly, $alpha_{CC}$ is not significantly affected by the TPs. Our predictions could be tested using textit{in vitro} imaging methods where the motion of the TPs and the CCs can be tracked.
While the equilibrium properties, states, and phase transitions of interacting systems are well described by statistical mechanics, the lack of suitable state parameters has hindered the understanding of non-equilibrium phenomena in diverse settings, from glasses to driven systems to biology. The length of a losslessly compressed data file is a direct measure of its information content: The more ordered the data is, the lower its information content and the shorter the length of its encoding can be made. Here, we describe how data compression enables the quantification of order in non-equilibrium and equilibrium many-body systems, both discrete and continuous, even when the underlying form of order is unknown. We consider absorbing state models on and off-lattice, as well as a system of active Brownian particles undergoing motility-induced phase separation. The technique reliably identifies non-equilibrium phase transitions, determines their character, quantitatively predicts certain critical exponents without prior knowledge of the order parameters, and reveals previously unknown ordering phenomena. This technique should provide a quantitative measure of organization in condensed matter and other systems exhibiting collective phase transitions in and out of equilibrium.
Active systems contain self-propelled particles and can spontaneously self-organize into patterns making them attractive candidates for the self-assembly of smart soft materials. One key limitation of our present understanding of these materials hinges on the complexity of the microscopic mechanisms driving its components forward. Here, by combining experiments, analytical theory and simulations we explore such a mechanism for a class of active system, modular microswimmers, which self-assemble from colloids and ion-exchange resins on charged substrates. Our results unveil the self-assembly processes and the working mechanism of the ion-exchange driven motors underlying modular microswimmers, which have so far been illusive, even qualitatively. We apply these motors to show that modular microswimmers can circumvent corners in complex environments and move uphill. Our work closes a central knowledge gap in modular microswimmers and provides a facile route to extract mechanical energy from ion-exchange processes.
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