Role of defects and active stresses in phase distribution of biphasic nematics

Determine the role of ±1/2 topological defects and active stresses in shaping the spatial distribution of the active and passive phases in a two-dimensional binary mixture of active and passive nematic fluids.

Background

The paper studies mixtures of motile (active) and non-motile (passive) agents that align nematically and segregate into distinct phases. Topological defects (±1/2) and activity-driven stresses are central to active nematic dynamics, yet their specific influence on the spatial distribution of the two phases has not been fully clarified.

The authors develop and analyze a biphasic active nematic framework to investigate how defects are transported between phases and how this transport leads to segregation of topological charge, directly addressing the unresolved role of defects and activity in phase distribution.