507 research outputs found
Emergent states in dense systems of active rods: from swarming to turbulence
Dense suspensions of self-propelled rod-like particles exhibit a fascinating
variety of non-equilibrium phenomena. By means of computer simulations of a
minimal model for rigid self-propelled colloidal rods with variable shape we
explore the generic diagram of emerging states over a large range of rod
densities and aspect ratios. The dynamics is studied using a simple numerical
scheme for the overdamped noiseless frictional dynamics of a many-body system
in which steric forces are dominant over hydrodynamic ones. The different
emergent states are identified by various characteristic correlation functions
and suitable order parameter fields. At low density and aspect ratio, a
disordered phase with no coherent motion precedes a highly-cooperative swarming
state at large aspect ratio. Conversely, at high densities weakly anisometric
particles show a distinct jamming transition whereas slender particles form
dynamic laning patterns. In between there is a large window corresponding to
strongly vortical, turbulent flow. The different dynamical states should be
verifiable in systems of swimming bacteria and artificial rod-like
micro-swimmers.Comment: 14 pages, 8 figure
Dynamical density functional theory for the diffusion of injected Brownian particles
While the theory of diffusion of a single Brownian particle in confined
geometries is well-established by now, we discuss here the theoretical
framework necessary to generalize the theory of diffusion to dense suspensions
of strongly interacting Brownian particles. Dynamical density functional theory
(DDFT) for classical Brownian particles represents an ideal tool for this
purpose. After outlining the basic ingredients to DDFT we show that it can be
readily applied to flowing suspensions with time-dependent particle sources.
Particle interactions lead to considerable layering in the mean density
profiles, a feature that is absent in the trivial case of noninteracting,
freely diffusing particles. If the particle injection rate varies periodically
in time with a suitable frequency, a resonance in the layering of the mean
particle density profile is predicted
Modelling chemotaxis of microswimmers: from individual to collective behavior
We discuss recent progress in the theoretical description of chemotaxis by
coupling the diffusion equation of a chemical species to equations describing
the motion of sensing microorganisms. In particular, we discuss models for
autochemotaxis of a single microorganism which senses its own secretion leading
to phenomena such as self-localization and self-avoidance. For two
heterogeneous particles, chemotactic coupling can lead to predator-prey
behavior including chase and escape phenomena, and to the formation of active
molecules, where motility spontaneously emerges when the particles approach
each other. We close this review with some remarks on the collective behavior
of many particles where chemotactic coupling induces patterns involving
clusters, spirals or traveling waves.Comment: to appear as a contribution to the book "Chemical kinetics beyond the
textbook
Structure factors for the simplest solvable model of polydisperse colloidal fluids with surface adhesion
Closed analytical expressions for scattering intensity and other global
structure factors are derived for a new solvable model of polydisperse sticky
hard spheres. The starting point is the exact solution of the ``mean spherical
approximation'' for hard core plus Yukawa potentials, in the limit of infinite
amplitude and vanishing range of the attractive tail, with their product
remaining constant. The choice of factorizable coupling (stickiness) parameters
in the Yukawa term yields a simpler ``dyadic structure'' in the Fourier
transform of the Baxter factor correlation function , with a
remarkable simplification in all structure functions with respect to previous
works. The effect of size and stickiness polydispersity is analyzed and
numerical results are presented for two particular versions of the model: i)
when all polydisperse particles have a single, size-independent, stickiness
parameter, and ii) when the stickiness parameters are proportional to the
diameters. The existence of two different regimes for the average structure
factor, respectively above and below a generalized Boyle temperature which
depends on size polydispersity, is recognized and discussed. Because of its
analycity and simplicity, the model may be useful in the interpretation of
small-angle scattering experimental data for polydisperse colloidal fluids of
neutral particles with surface adhesion.Comment: 32 pages, 7 figures, RevTex style, to appear in J. Chem. Phys. 1
December 200
Liquid pair correlations in four spatial dimensions: Theory versus simulation
Using liquid integral equation theory, we calculate the pair correlations of
particles that interact via a smooth repulsive pair potential in d = 4 spatial
dimensions. We discuss the performance of different closures for the
Ornstein-Zernike equation, by comparing the results to computer simulation
data. Our results are of relevance to understand crystal and glass formation in
high-dimensional systems
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