72 research outputs found
Focusing by blocking: repeatedly generating central density peaks in self-propelled particle systems by exploiting diffusive processes
Over the past few years the displacement statistics of self-propelled
particles has been intensely studied, revealing their long-time diffusive
behavior. Here, we demonstrate that a concerted combination of boundary
conditions and switching on and off the self-propelling drive can generate and
afterwards arbitrarily often restore a non-stationary centered peak in their
spatial distribution. This corresponds to a partial reversibility of their
statistical behavior, in opposition to the above-mentioned long-time diffusive
nature. Interestingly, it is a diffusive process that mediates and makes
possible this procedure. It should be straightforward to verify our predictions
in a real experimental system.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure
Pressure is not a state function for generic active fluids
Pressure is the mechanical force per unit area that a confined system exerts
on its container. In thermal equilibrium, it depends only on bulk properties
(density, temperature, etc.) through an equation of state. Here we show that in
a wide class of active systems the pressure depends on the precise interactions
between the active particles and the confining walls. In general, therefore,
active fluids have no equation of state, their mechanical pressures exhibit
anomalous properties that defy the familiar thermodynamic reasoning that holds
in equilibrium. The pressure remains a function of state, however, in some
specific and well-studied active models that tacitly restrict the character of
the particle-wall and/or particle-particle interactions.Comment: 8 pages + 9 SI pages, Nature Physics (2015
Scalar <i>φ</i><sup>4</sup> field theory for active-particle phase separation
Recent theories predict phase separation among orientationally disordered
active particles whose propulsion speed decreases rapidly enough with density.
Coarse-grained models of this process show time-reversal symmetry (detailed
balance) to be restored for uniform states, but broken by gradient terms; hence
detailed-balance violation is strongly coupled to interfacial phenomena. To
explore the subtle generic physics resulting from such coupling we here
introduce `Active Model B'. This is a scalar field theory (or
phase-field model) that minimally violates detailed balance via a leading-order
square-gradient term. We find that this additional term has modest effects on
coarsening dynamics, but alters the static phase diagram by creating a jump in
(thermodynamic) pressure across flat interfaces. Both results are surprising,
since interfacial phenomena are always strongly implicated in coarsening
dynamics but are, in detailed-balance systems, irrelevant for phase equilibria.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figure
Dynamics-dependent density distribution in active suspensions
Self-propelled colloids constitute an important class of intrinsically
non-equilibrium matter. Typically, such a particle moves ballistically at short
times, but eventually changes its orientation, and displays random-walk
behavior in the long-time limit. Theory predicts that if the velocity of
non-interacting swimmers varies spatially in 1D, , then their density
satisfies , where is an arbitrary
reference point. Such a dependence of steady-state on the particle
dynamics, which was the qualitative basis of recent work demonstrating how to
`paint' with bacteria, is forbidden in thermal equilibrium. We verify this
prediction quantitatively by constructing bacteria that swim with an
intensity-dependent speed when illuminated. A spatial light pattern therefore
creates a speed profile, along which we find that, indeed, , provided that steady state is reached
Direct Measurements of Colloidal Solvophoresis under Imposed Solvent and Solute Gradients
We describe a microfluidic system that enables direct visualization and measurement of diffusiophoretic migration of colloids in response to imposed solution gradients. Such measurements have proven difficult or impossible in macroscopic systems due to difficulties in establishing solution gradients that are sufficiently strong yet hydrodynamically stable. We validate the system with measurements of the concentration-dependent diffusiophoretic mobility of polystyrene colloids in NaCl gradients, confirming that diffusiophoretic migration velocities are proportional to gradients in the logarithm of electrolyte concentration. We then perform the first direct measurement of the concentration-dependent "solvophoretic" mobility of colloids in ethanol-water gradients, whose dependence on concentration and gradient strength was not known either theoretically or experimentally, but which our measurements reveal to be proportional to the gradient in the logarithm of ethanol mole fraction. Finally, we examine solvophoretic migration under a variety of qualitatively distinct chemical gradients, including solvents that are miscible or have finite solubility with water, an electrolyte for which diffusiophoresis proceeds down concentration gradients (unlike for most electrolytes), and a nonelectrolyte (sugar). Our technique enables the direct characterization of diffusiophoretic mobilities of various colloids under various solvent and solute gradients, analogous to the electrophoretic ζ-potential measurements that are routinely used to characterize suspensions. We anticipate that such measurements will provide the feedback required to test and develop theories for solvophoretic and diffusiophoretic migration and ultimately to the conceptual design and engineering of particles that respond in a desired way to their chemical environments
Killing by type VI secretion drives genetic phase separation and correlates with increased cooperation
By nature of their small size, dense growth and frequent need for extracellular metabolism, microbes face persistent public goods dilemmas. Genetic assortment is the only general solution stabilizing cooperation, but all known mechanisms structuring microbial populations depend on the availability of free space, an often unrealistic constraint. Here we describe a class of self-organization that operates within densely packed bacterial populations. Through mathematical modelling and experiments with Vibrio cholerae, we show how killing adjacent competitors via the Type VI secretion system (T6SS) precipitates phase separation via the ‘Model A' universality class of order-disorder transition mediated by killing. We mathematically demonstrate that T6SS-mediated killing should favour the evolution of public goods cooperation, and empirically support this prediction using a phylogenetic comparative analysis. This work illustrates the twin role played by the T6SS, dealing death to local competitors while simultaneously creating conditions potentially favouring the evolution of cooperation with kin
Mechanical properties of colloidal crystals at fluid interfaces
We characterise the local mechanical properties of two-dimensional colloidal crystals with hexagonal symmetry assembled at the flat interface between oil and water. Our experiments elucidate the conditions under which the material behaves isotropically, as opposed to those where the microstructure plays a major role. Brownian fluctuations are used to extract the stiffness of the lattice under the continuum approximation, whereas at larger displacements, obtained by optically driving one particle through the structure, the mechanical resistance of the lattice depends on both the area fraction and the direction of the applied force. Remarkably, the minimum resistance does not necessarily correspond to a probe being driven between neighbours, i.e. at 30° with respect to the crystal axes
Active atoms and interstitials in two-dimensional colloidal crystals
We study experimentally and numerically the motion of a self-phoretic active particle in two-dimensional loosely packed colloidal crystals at fluid interfaces. Two scenarios emerge depending on the interactions between the active particle and the lattice: the active particle either navigates throughout the crystal as an interstitial or is part of the lattice and behaves as an active atom. Active interstitials undergo a run-and-tumble-like motion, with the passive colloids of the crystal acting as tumbling sites. Instead, active atoms exhibit an intermittent motion, stemming from the interplay between the periodic potential landscape of the passive crystal and the particle's self-propulsion. Our results constitute the first step towards the realization of non-close-packed crystalline phases with internal activity
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