Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: We develop an active self-consistent field theory (ASCFT) for studying the steady-state behavior of active Ornstein--Uhlenbeck polymers. Starting from the stochastic equations of motion under the unified colored noise approximation, we derive an effective Hamiltonian that extends the classical polymer field theory to non-equilibrium systems. The resulting free energy functional incorporates both the Flory--Huggins interaction parameter $χN$ and the persistence time $τ$ of the active noise, enabling a unified description of thermodynamic and activity-driven effects. To solve the governing equations, we implement a stable implicit-explicit numerical scheme that handles the fourth-order term induced by activity. Our simulations reveal that increasing activity suppresses microphase separation, with the density modulation amplitude decaying as $Δϕ\propto τ^{-1/2}$ for large $τ$. This scaling is independent of copolymer composition and is confirmed by an asymptotic analysis of the free energy functional in the large-$τ$ limit. The ASCFT framework provides a new theoretical tool for predicting and designing the non-equilibrium morphologies of active polymer systems, bridging the gap between traditional self-consistent field theory and active matter physics.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Authors: Huang, Yuliang, Ren, Chun-Lai, Tang, Qiyun
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7214235945