Temperature of an active nematic
Abstract
We employ a hydrodynamic framework for active matter coupled to an environment to study the local temperature of an active nematic, assuming proximity to thermal equilibrium. We show that, due to the mechanosensitivity of fuel consumption, linearized temperature correlations in a homogeneous active nematic steady state remain unaffected by activity. However, we demonstrate that local shearing and twisting cause a confined active nematic undergoing a spontaneous flow transition to develop a distinctive inhomogeneous temperature profile, serving as a thermal signature of activity.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Micro and Nano Robotics
Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Physical Review Research
- Publisher
- American Physical Society (APS)
- Volume
- 8
- Issue
- 2
- Publication date
- 20 February 2026
- Language
- EN