First observation of turbulence-like state in dense algal suspensions

Abstract

Active turbulence arises typically in systems ranging from microorganisms and biopolymers to synthetic colloids, where chaotic flows are closely associated with motile topological defects in collectively swarming suspensions. Here, we report the first experimental observation of turbulence-like dynamics in a fundamentally different class of systems: dense monolayers of motile unicellular alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii that exhibit neither orientational order nor topological defects. Nevertheless, the system displays rich spatiotemporal flow patterns with pronounced small-scale intermittency. We uncover strongly non-Gaussian velocity distribution, a feature distinct from both bacterial and classical fluid turbulence. Furthermore, we observe power-law regimes in the kinetic energy spectra, characterized by unique scaling exponents. Not only do our results provide compelling evidence for active spatiotemporal chaos in systems devoid of nematic or polar structures, but they also challenge current theoretical models. Our work opens new avenues for understanding emergent dynamics in active-matter systems and suggests intriguing biological implications, including enhanced mixing and transport in dense cell suspensions.