SKM 2023 – scientific programme
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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik
CPP 31: Focus Session: From Inter-individual Variability to Heterogeneous Group Dynamics and Disorder in Active Matter (joint session DY/BP/CPP)
CPP 31.4: Talk
Wednesday, March 29, 2023, 10:45–11:00, ZEU 160
Distinct impacts of polar and nematic self-propulsion on active unjamming — Varun Venkatesh1, •Chandana Mondal2, and Amin Doostmohammadi1 — 1Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 17, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark — 2UGC-DAE CSR, University Campus, Khandwa Road, Indore 452017, India
We explore, by MD simulations, the jamming-unjamming transition in a dense system of active semiflexible filaments. In particular, we characterize the distinct impact of polar vs nematic driving for different filament rigidities and at varying densities. Our results show that high densities of dynamic active filaments can be achieved by only changing the nature of the active force, nematic or polar. Interestingly, while polar driving is more effective at unjamming the system at high densities below confluency, we find that at even higher densities, nematic driving enhances unjamming compared to its polar counterpart. The effect of varying the rigidity of filaments is also significantly different in the two cases: While for nematic driving, lowering the bending rigidity unjams the system, we find an intriguing reentrant jamming-unjamming-jamming transition for polar driving as the filament rigidity is lowered. While the first transition (unjamming) is driven by softening due to reduced rigidity, the second transition (jamming) is a cooperative effect of ordering and coincides with the emergence of nematic order in the system. Together, through a generic model of self-propelled flexible filaments, our results demonstrate how tuning the nature of self-propulsion and flexibility can be employed by active materials to achieve high densities without getting jammed.