Berlin 2018 – scientific programme
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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik
CPP 66: Microswimmers II (joint session DY/CPP/BP)
CPP 66.4: Talk
Thursday, March 15, 2018, 10:45–11:00, BH-N 243
Cluster formation of microswimmers with individually controlled motility — •Tobias Bäuerle1, Andreas Fischer2, Thomas Speck2, and Clemens Bechinger1 — 1Universität Konstanz, Germany — 2Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz, Germany
One of the most interesting aspects of microswimmers is their ability to form dynamical clusters even in the absence of long-ranged interactions. Previous experiments and simulations have demonstrated the occurrence of phase separation into large clusters and a dilute gas phase when the density and motility of the particles is sufficiently high. In contrast to previous studies, where the particle motility was kept constant in space and time, in our experiments we are able to control the motility of each single microswimmer depending on its surrounding, e.g. the local density and configuration of microswimmers. Using a light-activated system, such individual motility control is achieved by a feed-back system consisting of a rapidly scanned laser beam and a real-time particle detection algorithm. By introducing appropriate interaction-rules we demonstrate that formation of clusters can occur already at very small particle densities and that their shape and density can be modified by small variations in the interaction rules.