Morse PK, Roy S, Agoritsas E, Stanifer E, Corwin EI, Manning ML. A direct link between active matter and sheared granular systems.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021;
118:e2019909118. [PMID:
33931504 DOI:
10.1073/pnas.2019909118]
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Abstract
The similarity in mechanical properties of dense active matter and sheared amorphous solids has been noted in recent years without a rigorous examination of the underlying mechanism. We develop a mean-field model that predicts that their critical behavior-as measured by their avalanche statistics-should be equivalent in infinite dimensions up to a rescaling factor that depends on the correlation length of the applied field. We test these predictions in two dimensions using a numerical protocol, termed "athermal quasistatic random displacement," and find that these mean-field predictions are surprisingly accurate in low dimensions. We identify a general class of perturbations that smoothly interpolates between the uncorrelated localized forces that occur in the high-persistence limit of dense active matter and system-spanning correlated displacements that occur under applied shear. These results suggest a universal framework for predicting flow, deformation, and failure in active and sheared disordered materials.
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