Abstract
Liquid crystals are a phase of matter exhibiting properties of both crystalline solids and isotropic liquids. (talk about nematics). An active nematic is a nonequilibrium system where the nematogens inject kinetic energy into the system. This behavior can be seen in biological settings such as in kinesin motor clusters and researching it can help us better understand biology at its most fundamental level. We look at a 3D active nematic with topological defects pinned on the boundaries and observe the resulting defect dynamics, in particular disclination loop emission driven by active stress. We analyze how the disclination dynamics change as a function of defect spacing and system height. By studying pinned defects, we can build up a robust body of knowledge on how different boundary conditions impact active nematic dynamics, allowing us to better predict messy real world systems.