Ziga Kos (University of Ljubljana): Disclination lines out of equilibrium

Many synthetic, biological, or bio-inspired fluids show orientational order of the building blocks, and can also be intrinsically active or driven out of equilibrium. Disclination lines are string-like singularities within the orientational field and can show intricate non-equilibrium dynamics. I will present the formalism of describing and modelling disclinations through tensorial order parameter field and the velocity field. I will focus on selected problems, for example, how to determine the stability of a disclination loop with a zero topological charge for different flow profiles, and show the role of disclination dynamics in the context of logic operations, microrobotics, nematic microfluidics, and active nematic fluids.