Towards Active Matter Cybernetics: Optimal Control of Active Nematics

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• Michael M. Norton (Pennsylvania State University)
• Tuesday 10 November 2020, 13:00-14:00
• via zoom, meeting ID 940-1803-7756.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Patrick Pietzonka.

Zoom link: https://maths-cam-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/94018037756

Active matter represents a broad class of materials and systems comprising interacting and energy-consuming constituents. The goal of active matter research is to elucidate the operational principles that enable these materials to assemble structures, do mechanical work, and propagate or process information. Model active systems such as reaction-diffusion systems and active fluids enable a quantitative study of the essential physics that unifies all active materials, both living and synthetic. Recent developments in light-activated kinesin motor complexes enable programmatic spatiotemporal control over the active stress field of active gels and nematics, offering abundant opportunities for interacting with these materials in new ways. However, so far, these efforts have relied on ad hoc control strategies that are not directly informed by dynamical models. Towards rationally interacting with active materials, I will discuss our recent computational work on applying optimal control theory to an active nematic material. I’ll demonstrate how nontrivial system inputs can be calculated to steer a confined active nematic between two dynamical attractors: clockwise and counter-clockwise rotational states. Looking forward, the generality of the optimal control framework offers the potential for translation to living systems.

This talk is part of the DAMTP Statistical Physics and Soft Matter Seminar series.

This talk is included in these lists:

• All CMS events
• DAMTP Statistical Physics and Soft Matter Seminar
• Soft Matter
• bld31
• via zoom, meeting ID 940-1803-7756

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