Dissipation and microstructure in sheared active suspensions of squirmers

Abstract

We study the energy expenditure and structural correlations in semi-dilute to concentrated suspensions of squirmers using active fast Stokesian dynamics simulations. Specifically, we simulate apolar active suspensions of squirmers, or 'shakers,' and show that shear enhances the total dissipation but reduces the relative viscosity for both puller- and pusher-type shakers. At low shear rates where activity dominates, pushers dissipate more energy than pullers, and more so at higher volume fractions, in contrast to bacterial suspensions displaying a 'superfluid' transition. At high shear rates where shear dominates, pullers and pushers behave effectively as passive spheres, generating negative normal stress differences due to shear-induced collision. Remarkably, the rate-dependent rheological responses are accompanied by unusual microstructural signatures of an enhanced nematic order and anisotropic pair correlation, both of which contribute to a higher viscosity under shear. Further simulations of self-propelled, neutral squirmers exhibit similar but weaker shear-thinning, highlighting the importance of activity over motility, underpinned by hydrodynamic interactions. Overall, our results elucidate the interplay of internal activity and external flow on the dissipation and microstructure in sheared active suspensions of squirmers.