Orientational Order of Motile Defects in Active Nematics (A)
Descriptive Transcript
This video shows a swirly gray background with red arrows and blue crosses moving through it.
These LC-Polscope images show extensile microtubule bundles are confined to a 2D interface system.
- +1/2 defects are identified by red arrows
- -1/2 defects by blue crosses
Statistical analysis of tracked defects shows that symmetry is spontaneously broken; the defects align along a randomly chosen axis to form a nematic phase of defects.