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Voigtländer A, Houssais M, Bacik KA, Bourg IC, Burton JC, Daniels KE, Datta SS, Del Gado E, Deshpande NS, Devauchelle O, Ferdowsi B, Glade R, Goehring L, Hewitt IJ, Jerolmack D, Juanes R, Kudrolli A, Lai CY, Li W, Masteller C, Nissanka K, Rubin AM, Stone HA, Suckale J, Vriend NM, Wettlaufer JS, Yang JQ. Soft matter physics of the ground beneath our feet. SOFT MATTER 2024. [PMID: 39012310 DOI: 10.1039/d4sm00391h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
The soft part of the Earth's surface - the ground beneath our feet - constitutes the basis for life and natural resources, yet a general physical understanding of the ground is still lacking. In this critical time of climate change, cross-pollination of scientific approaches is urgently needed to better understand the behavior of our planet's surface. The major topics in current research in this area cross different disciplines, spanning geosciences, and various aspects of engineering, material sciences, physics, chemistry, and biology. Among these, soft matter physics has emerged as a fundamental nexus connecting and underpinning many research questions. This perspective article is a multi-voice effort to bring together different views and approaches, questions and insights, from researchers that work in this emerging area, the soft matter physics of the ground beneath our feet. In particular, we identify four major challenges concerned with the dynamics in and of the ground: (I) modeling from the grain scale, (II) near-criticality, (III) bridging scales, and (IV) life. For each challenge, we present a selection of topics by individual authors, providing specific context, recent advances, and open questions. Through this, we seek to provide an overview of the opportunities for the broad Soft Matter community to contribute to the fundamental understanding of the physics of the ground, strive towards a common language, and encourage new collaborations across the broad spectrum of scientists interested in the matter of the Earth's surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Voigtländer
- German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), Geomorphology, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany.
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Energy Geosciences Division, 1 Cyclotron Rd, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Morgane Houssais
- Department of Physics, Clark University, 950 Main St, Worcester, MA 01610, USA
| | - Karol A Bacik
- Department of Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Ian C Bourg
- Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) and High Meadows Environmental Institute (HMEI), Princeton University, E208 EQuad, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Justin C Burton
- Department of Physics, Emory University, 400 Dowman Dr, Atlanta, GA 30033, USA
| | - Karen E Daniels
- North Carolina State University, 2401 Stinson Dr, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
| | - Sujit S Datta
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Emanuela Del Gado
- Department of Physics, Institute for Soft Matter Synthesis and Metrology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Nakul S Deshpande
- North Carolina State University, 2401 Stinson Dr, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
| | - Olivier Devauchelle
- Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Université Paris Cité, 1 rue Jussieu, CNRS, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Behrooz Ferdowsi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, jUniversity of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Rachel Glade
- Earth & Environmental Sciences Department and Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Rochester, 227 Hutchison Hall, P.O. Box 270221, Rochester, NY 14627, USA
| | - Lucas Goehring
- School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK
| | - Ian J Hewitt
- Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Douglas Jerolmack
- Department of Earth & Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ruben Juanes
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Arshad Kudrolli
- Department of Physics, Clark University, 950 Main St, Worcester, MA 01610, USA
| | - Ching-Yao Lai
- Department of Geophysics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Stony Brook University, Department of Civil Engineering, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Claire Masteller
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Kavinda Nissanka
- Department of Physics, Emory University, 400 Dowman Dr, Atlanta, GA 30033, USA
| | - Allan M Rubin
- Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Howard A Stone
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Jenny Suckale
- Computational and Mathematical Engineering, and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Nathalie M Vriend
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - John S Wettlaufer
- Departments of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Mathematics and Physics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Judy Q Yang
- Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory and Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo-Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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Tingle JL, Garner KL, Astley HC. Functional diversity of snake locomotor behaviors: A review of the biological literature for bioinspiration. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2024; 1533:16-37. [PMID: 38367220 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.15109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Organismal solutions to natural challenges can spark creative engineering applications. However, most engineers are not experts in organismal biology, creating a potential barrier to maximally effective bioinspired design. In this review, we aim to reduce that barrier with respect to a group of organisms that hold particular promise for a variety of applications: snakes. Representing >10% of tetrapod vertebrates, snakes inhabit nearly every imaginable terrestrial environment, moving with ease under many conditions that would thwart other animals. To do so, they employ over a dozen different types of locomotion (perhaps well over). Lacking limbs, they have evolved axial musculoskeletal features that enable their vast functional diversity, which can vary across species. Different species also have various skin features that provide numerous functional benefits, including frictional anisotropy or isotropy (as their locomotor habits demand), waterproofing, dirt shedding, antimicrobial properties, structural colors, and wear resistance. Snakes clearly have much to offer to the fields of robotics and materials science. We aim for this review to increase knowledge of snake functional diversity by facilitating access to the relevant literature.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kelsey L Garner
- Department of Biology, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
| | - Henry C Astley
- Department of Biology, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
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Deblais A, Prathyusha KR, Sinaasappel R, Tuazon H, Tiwari I, Patil VP, Bhamla MS. Worm blobs as entangled living polymers: from topological active matter to flexible soft robot collectives. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:7057-7069. [PMID: 37706563 PMCID: PMC10523214 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm00542a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
Recently, the study of long, slender living worms has gained attention due to their unique ability to form highly entangled physical structures, exhibiting emergent behaviors. These organisms can assemble into an active three-dimensional soft entity referred to as the "blob", which exhibits both solid-like and liquid-like properties. This blob can respond to external stimuli such as light, to move or change shape. In this perspective article, we acknowledge the extensive and rich history of polymer physics, while illustrating how these living worms provide a fascinating experimental platform for investigating the physics of active, polymer-like entities. The combination of activity, long aspect ratio, and entanglement in these worms gives rise to a diverse range of emergent behaviors. By understanding the intricate dynamics of the worm blob, we could potentially stimulate further research into the behavior of entangled active polymers, and guide the advancement of synthetic topological active matter and bioinspired tangling soft robot collectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Deblais
- van der Waals-Zeeman Institute, Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - K R Prathyusha
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
| | - Rosa Sinaasappel
- van der Waals-Zeeman Institute, Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Harry Tuazon
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
| | - Ishant Tiwari
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
| | - Vishal P Patil
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - M Saad Bhamla
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
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Cohen AE, Hastewell AD, Pradhan S, Flavell SW, Dunkel J. Schrödinger Dynamics and Berry Phase of Undulatory Locomotion. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2023; 130:258402. [PMID: 37418715 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.130.258402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Spectral mode representations play an essential role in various areas of physics, from quantum mechanics to fluid turbulence, but they are not yet extensively used to characterize and describe the behavioral dynamics of living systems. Here, we show that mode-based linear models inferred from experimental live-imaging data can provide an accurate low-dimensional description of undulatory locomotion in worms, centipedes, robots, and snakes. By incorporating physical symmetries and known biological constraints into the dynamical model, we find that the shape dynamics are generically governed by Schrödinger equations in mode space. The eigenstates of the effective biophysical Hamiltonians and their adiabatic variations enable the efficient classification and differentiation of locomotion behaviors in natural, simulated, and robotic organisms using Grassmann distances and Berry phases. While our analysis focuses on a widely studied class of biophysical locomotion phenomena, the underlying approach generalizes to other physical or living systems that permit a mode representation subject to geometric shape constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander E Cohen
- Department of Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 25 Ames Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
| | - Alasdair D Hastewell
- Department of Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Sreeparna Pradhan
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Steven W Flavell
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Jörn Dunkel
- Department of Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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Patil VP, Tuazon H, Kaufman E, Chakrabortty T, Qin D, Dunkel J, Bhamla MS. Ultrafast reversible self-assembly of living tangled matter. Science 2023; 380:392-398. [PMID: 37104611 PMCID: PMC11194538 DOI: 10.1126/science.ade7759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Tangled active filaments are ubiquitous in nature, from chromosomal DNA and cilia carpets to root networks and worm collectives. How activity and elasticity facilitate collective topological transformations in living tangled matter is not well understood. We studied California blackworms (Lumbriculus variegatus), which slowly form tangles in minutes but can untangle in milliseconds. Combining ultrasound imaging, theoretical analysis, and simulations, we developed and validated a mechanistic model that explains how the kinematics of individual active filaments determines their emergent collective topological dynamics. The model reveals that resonantly alternating helical waves enable both tangle formation and ultrafast untangling. By identifying generic dynamical principles of topological self-transformations, our results can provide guidance for designing classes of topologically tunable active materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishal P. Patil
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, 475 Via Ortega, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Harry Tuazon
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30318, USA
| | - Emily Kaufman
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30318, USA
| | - Tuhin Chakrabortty
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30318, USA
| | - David Qin
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Jörn Dunkel
- Department of Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - M. Saad Bhamla
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30318, USA
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Chang B, Kudrolli A. Nonadditive drag of tandem rods drafting in granular sediments. Phys Rev E 2022; 105:034901. [PMID: 35428077 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.105.034901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
We examine the drag experienced by a pair of vertical rods moving in tandem through a granular bed immersed in a fluid as a function of their separation distance and speed. As in Newtonian fluids, the net drag experienced by the rods initially increases with distance from the value for a single rod before plateauing to twice the value. However, the drag acting on the two rods is remarkably different, with the leading rod experiencing roughly similar drag compared to a solitary rod, while the following rod experiences far less drag. The anomalous relationship of drag and the distance between the leading and following body is observed in both dry granular beds and while immersed in viscous Newtonian fluids across the quasistatic and the rate-dependent regimes. Through refractive index matching, we visualize the sediment flow past the two rods and show that a stagnant region develops in their reference frame between the rods for small separations. Thus, the following rod is increasingly shielded from the granular flow with decreasing separation distance, leading to a lower net drag. Care should be exercised in applying resistive force theory to multicomponent objects moving in granular sediments based on our result that drag is not additive at short separation distances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Chang
- Department of Physics, Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts 01610, USA
| | - Arshad Kudrolli
- Department of Physics, Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts 01610, USA
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Adachi H, Ozawa M, Yagi S, Seita M, Kondo S. Pivot burrowing of scarab beetle (Trypoxylus dichotomus) larva. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14594. [PMID: 34272407 PMCID: PMC8285476 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93915-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Many organisms live in the soil but only a little is known about their ecology especially movement style. Scarab beetle larvae do not have appendages to shovel soil and their trunk is thick compared to their body length. Hence, their movement through the soil is perplexing. Here, we established the observation and analysis system of larval movement and found that the last larval instars of Trypoxylus dichotomus burrow in two different ways, depending on the hardness of the soil. If the soil is soft, the larvae keep their body in a straight line and use longitudinal expansion and contraction; if the soil is hard, they flex and rotate their body. It is thought that the larvae adapt to diverse soil conditions using two different excavation methods. These results are important for understanding the soil ecology and pose a challenge to engineer of newer excavation technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruhiko Adachi
- Graduate School of Frontier Bioscience, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
| | - Makoto Ozawa
- Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-8531, Japan
| | - Satoshi Yagi
- Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-8531, Japan
| | - Makoto Seita
- Graduate School of Frontier Bioscience, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Shigeru Kondo
- Graduate School of Frontier Bioscience, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
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Chen Y, Khosravi A, Martinez A, DeJong J. Modeling the self-penetration process of a bio-inspired probe in granular soils. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2021; 16:046012. [PMID: 33794505 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/abf46e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Soil penetration is an energy-intensive process that is common in both nature and civil infrastructure applications. Many human construction activities involve soil penetration that is typically accomplished through impact-driving, pushing against a reaction mass, excavating, or vibrating using large equipment. This paper presents a numerical investigation into the self-penetration process of a probe that uses an 'anchor-tip' burrowing strategy with the goal of extending the mechanics-based understanding of burrower-soil interactions at the physical dimensions and stress levels relevant for civil infrastructure applications. Self-penetration is defined here as the ability of a probe to generate enough anchorage forces to overcome the soil penetration resistance and advance the probe tip to greater depths. 3D Discrete element modeling simulations are employed to understand the self-penetration process of an idealized probe in noncohesive soil along with the interactions between the probe's anchor and tip. The results indicate that self-penetration conditions improve with simulated soil depth, and favorable probe configurations for self-penetration include shorter anchor-tip distances, anchors with greater length and expansion magnitudes, and anchors with a greater friction coefficient. The results shed light on the scaling of burrowing forces across a range of soil depths relevant to civil infrastructure applications and provide design guidance for future self-penetrating probes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyan Chen
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Davis, United States of America
| | - Ali Khosravi
- Department of Civil and Construction Engineering, Oregon State University, United States of America
| | - Alejandro Martinez
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Davis, United States of America
| | - Jason DeJong
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Davis, United States of America
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Li S, Henann DL. Nonlocal continuum modeling of dense granular flow in a split-bottom cell with a vane-shaped intruder. Phys Rev E 2020; 102:022908. [PMID: 32942386 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.102.022908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Shear flow in one spatial region of a dense granular material-induced, for example, through the motion of a boundary-fluidizes the entire granular material. One consequence is that the yield condition vanishes throughout the granular material-even in regions that are very far from the "primary," boundary-driven shear flow. This phenomenon may be characterized through the mechanics of intruders embedded in the granular medium. When there is no primary flow, a critical load must be exceeded to move the intruder; however, in the presence of a primary flow, intruder motion occurs even when an arbitrarily small external load is applied to an intruder embedded in a region far from the sheared zone. In this paper, we apply the nonlocal granular fluidity (NGF) model-a continuum model that involves higher-order flow gradients-to simulate the specific case of dense flow in a split-bottom cell with a vane-shape intruder. Our simulations quantitatively capture the key features of the experimentally observed phenomena: (1) the vanishing of the yield condition, (2) an exponential-type relationship between the applied torque and the rotation rate, (3) the effect of the distance between the intruder and the primary flow zone, and (4) the direction-dependence of the torque/rotation-rate relation, in which the observed relation changes depending on whether the intruder is forced to rotate along with or counter to the primary flow. Importantly, this represents the first fully three-dimensional validation test for a nonlocal model for dense granular flow in general and for the NGF model in particular.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shihong Li
- School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA
| | - David L Henann
- School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA
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