00993nas a2200121   4500008004100000245006500041210006500106260003000171520058100201100001600782700002200798856005100820       2014                        en  d00aSpontaneous division and motility in active nematic droplets0 aSpontaneous division and motility in active nematic droplets  bAmerican Physical Society3 aWe investigate the mechanics of an active droplet endowed with internal nematic order and surrounded by an isotropic Newtonian fluid. Using numerical simulations we demonstrate that, due to the interplay between the active stresses and the defective geometry of the nematic director, this system exhibits two of the fundamental functions of living cells: spontaneous division and motility, by means of self-generated hydrodynamic flows. These behaviors can be selectively activated by controlling a single physical parameter, namely, an active variant of the capillary number.1 aGiomi, Luca1 aDeSimone, Antonio  uhttp://urania.sissa.it/xmlui/handle/1963/34902