Inverse Measurements in Active Nematics

Abstract

We present a framework to take new measurements in nematic systems that contain active elements such as molecular motors. Spatio-temporal fields of stress, traction, velocity, pressure, and forces are estimated jointly from microscopy images alone. Our inverse-problem approach ensures that these fields comply with physical laws and are accurate at system boundaries. Our novel measurements in active biological materials provide new insight for the design of boundary-aware nematic systems. The shear stress at the wall unveils a correlation with the nucleation of topological defects. The pressure gradients and the velocity characterize how boundary effects drive system-wide dynamics. And the forces link the underlying fluid with the nematic tensor to reveal the time scales of the system. More broadly, our work establishes a generalizable approach to quantitatively study experimental systems that are inaccessible to measuring probes.