SKM 2023 – scientific programme
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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik
CPP 59: Active Matter V (joint session BP/CPP/DY)
CPP 59.1: Invited Talk
Friday, March 31, 2023, 09:30–10:00, TOE 317
Experiments on Active Polymer-Like Worms — •Antoine Deblais1, Daniel Bonn1, and Sander Woutersen2 — 1Van der Waals-Zeeman Institute, Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam, 1098XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands — 2Van't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
We propose a new 'active particle' system in which the particles are in fact polymer-like: the Tubifex tubifex or 'sludge' worm. I will discuss three recent experiments that highlight the richness of this active system. In the first experiment, we perform classical rheology experiments on this entangled polymer-like system. We find that the rheology is qualitatively similar to that of usual polymers, but, quantitatively, the (tunable) activity of the particle changes the flow properties. In a second experiment, we disperse the worm in a quasi-2D aquarium and observe their spontaneous aggregation to compact, highly entangled blobs; a process similar to polymer phase separation, and for which we observe power-law growth kinetics. We find that the phase separation of active polymer-like worms occurs through active motion and coalescence of the phase domains. This leads to a fundamentally different phase-separation mechanism, that may be unique to active polymers. Finally, in the remaining time, I will briefly show that we can efficiently separate by size and activity these living polymers using hydrodynamic chromatography technics.