Activity-induced emergent flatness, instabilities and pattern formation in fluid membranes

Abstract

We show that microscopically inversion-asymmetric, permeable active fluid membranes are statistically flat and effectively inversion-symmetric at large scales. Their fluctuations are governed by an asymptotically exact linear hydrodynamic equation giving orientational long-range order and positional quasi-long-range order. At intermediate scales, their dynamics is described by a Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equation with spatially long-range noise, producing rough membranes with short-range translational and long-range orientational order described by exactly known scaling exponents. Active stresses can destabilize the membrane at long wavelengths, while sufficiently strong active permeation flow can drive finite-wavevector instabilities and pattern formation. These results reveal a novel activity-driven route to the destruction of flat fluid membranes.