  In this paper, we develop and analyze a minimal model for a 2D network of
cross-linked actin filaments and myosin motors, representing the cortical
cytoskeleton of eukaryotic cells. We implement coarse-grained representations
of force production by myosin motors and stress dissipation through an
effective cross-link friction and filament turnover. We use this model to
characterize how the sustained production of active stress, and the steady
dissipation of elastic stress, depend individually on motor activity, effective
cross-link friction and filament turnover. Then we combine these results to
gain insights into how microscopic network parameters control steady state flow
produced by asymmetric distributions of motor activity. Our results provide a
framework for understanding how local modulation of microscopic interactions
within contractile networks control macroscopic quantities like active stress
and effective viscosity to control cortical deformation and flow at cellular
scales.
