Review "Physics of Active Emulsions"
/Droplets driven away from equilibrium exhibit interesting phenomena that would not be possible in passive systems. Among these are the positioning of droplets, the control of droplet size, the stabilization of emulsions, and spontaneous division. All these effects rely on active processes that modify normal droplet dynamics, where for instance surface tension ensures a spherical shape. Such active droplets can for instance be observed in the non-equilibrium environments of biological cells.
Together with Frank Jülicher, Christoph Weber, and Chiu Fan Lee, we summarized the new theoretical developments in this exciting field of active matter. Our review published on arXiv, provides a thorough discussion of the thermodynamics of passive droplets and the extensions necessary to incorporate active processes. It provides the basis for extending the theory to more complex situations, which surely will unravel novel dynamical phenomena of active emulsions. These processes will help us to better understand biological systems and might also be applicable in technical applications.