Vortex-area statistics generated by the roll-mediated route

Determine whether exponential vortex-area statistics reported in collective epithelial flows also arise from the roll-mediated route to active turbulence, and characterize what this would reveal about the connection between the instability mechanism and emergent flow statistics.

Background

The paper establishes that a finite-wavelength transverse instability can pre-empt the conventional long-wavelength instability in confined active nematics, allowing rolls to emerge directly from the quiescent state. It proposes that this roll-mediated route may provide a distinct pathway toward vortical and chaotic flows, including active turbulence.

The unresolved question is whether the exponential vortex-area statistics observed in collective epithelial flows are also produced by this particular instability pathway. Resolving it could clarify whether measurable statistical features of active turbulence retain information about the mechanism by which the flow first becomes unstable.