PARITY TIME-SYMMETRY BREAKING IN BIOLOGICAL ACTIVE MATTER
Abstract
Symmetry is a fundamental property of physical systems. However, it is generally broken in nature. For example, our heart is always on the left and our left and right hands are mirror images of one another. How and why nature breaks these fundamental symmetries remains a long-standing scientific mystery. We hypothesize that symmetry breaking in biological material provides robustness and the ability to make collective decisions. Recent developments in statistical physics and active matter theory have opened new possibilities for understanding these challenging and intriguing ideas. These novel material concepts have been developed to study the complex and emerging behaviors of highly interacting particles that can also be mapped to living materials ranging from bacteria to swarming animals. In particular, the concept of non- Hermiticity in active systems resulting from nonreciprocal physical interactions has received increasing scientific attention for revealing the secrets of complex dynamical processes. Although we have made profound theoretical progress in these domains, there remains a lack of experimental approaches and tools providing a comprehensive framework.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 20, 2023
- Source ID
- FA95502210431
Entities
People
- Askin Kocabas
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- United States Air Force