Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Repulsive self-propelled particles tend to cluster, leading to Motility-Induced Phase Separation (MIPS). By analogy with equilibrium phase separation, the onset of MIPS has been associated with a transition to effective attraction between particles. Using an exact microscopic theory, we quantify the emergence of effective attraction in a minimal model: two soft run-and-tumble particles in a periodic domain. We show that, as repulsion increases, the leading-order behaviour is that of effective repulsion, while effective attraction emerges as a higher-order contribution to the renormalisation of the pair potential.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Institution: Imperial College London
Topic: Micro and Nano Robotics
Subfield: Condensed Matter Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7160335115
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