Year: 2019
Type: article
Abstract: To study the role of torque in motility-induced phase separation (MIPS), we simulate a system of self-propelled particles whose shape varies smoothly from isotropic (disks/spheres) to weakly elongated (rods). We construct the phase diagrams of 2D active disks, 3D active spheres, and 2D/3D active rods of aspect ratio l/σ = 2. A stability analysis of the homogeneous isotropic phase allows us to predict the onset of MIPS based on the effective swimming speed and rotational diffusion of the particles. Both methods find suppression of MIPS as the particle shape is elongated. We propose a suppression mechanism based on the duration of collisions and argue that this mechanism can explain both the suppression of MIPS found here for rodlike particles and the enhancement of MIPS found for particles with Vicsek interactions.
Source: The Journal of Chemical Physics
DOI: 10.1063/1.5086733
Authors: Robin van Damme, Jeroen Rodenburg, René van Roij, Marjolein Dijkstra
Institution: Utrecht University
Language: English
Topic: Micro and Nano Robotics
Subfield: Condensed Matter Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2928899331