''Space-Time Liquid-Crystals : synchronization and fluctuations in active matter'' T.B. Liverpool, University of Bristol

Space-Time Liquid-Crystals: synchronization and fluctuations in active matter

Colonies of swimming bacteria, algae or spermatozoa are examples of active systems composed of interacting units that consume energy and collectively generate motion and mechanical stresses.  Due to the anisotropy of their interactions, these active particles can exhibit orientational order at high concentration and have been called “living liquid crystals". Their rich collective behaviour  includes non-equilibrium phase transitions and pattern formation on mesoscopic scales. In addition, however, the mechanism by which they  generate motion is always via an internal cycle of energy consumption.  I will describe and summarise recent theoretical results characterising the behaviour of such soft  active systems highlighting the effects of their internal dynamics on their macroscopic behaviour.