Visualization of inertial effects in 2D active nematic turbulence

Left: The vorticity field in typical active nematic turbulence features small vortex dipoles (topological defects in the orientation) which move through the system chaotically. Center: Advective inertia causes the formation of large-scale flow, visible in the form of strongly moving vortex patches (red and blue). Right: Friction reduces this effect and restores a flow field similar to the one without advection.
The visualization is obtained from a direct numerical simulation of the equations of motion without self-advection of the flow (left), with self-advection (center), and with self-advection and linear friction (right).
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