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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 30: Active Matter IV (joint session DY/BP/CPP)
BP 30.8: Talk
Thursday, March 21, 2024, 12:00–12:15, BH-N 334
Motility-induced clustering of active particles under soft confinement — •Timo Knippenberg1, Ashreya Jayaram2, Thomas Speck2, and Clemens Bechinger1 — 1FB Physik, Universität Konstanz, Deutschand — 2Institute for theoretical physics IV, Universität Stuttgart, Deutschland
In the field of active matter, motility-induced phase separation (MIPS) is one of the most widely studied subjects. This phenomenon, characterized by a phase transition from a homogeneous phase into a densely clustered state with a gaseous surrounding, occurs at sufficiently high density and active particle (AP) velocity. However, most of these studies focus on APs in bulk or near hard walls, while research on APs in soft confinement is scarce. The latter promises insights into the dimensionality-dependent aspects of MIPS, as gradually increasing the confinement strength provides a way to approach the 1-dimensional limit, where MIPS is known to be absent.
To address this topic, here we experimentally investigate the structural and dynamical properties of APs confined in a soft annulus-shaped channel. Depending on the strength of the confinement and the AP velocity, we observe a novel re-entrant phase behavior. We can explain our measurements by the strong coupling between velocity and the effective confining dimensionality in such soft systems.
In addition to highlighting the important influence of soft boundaries on APs, our research has implications for future applications in micro-robotics.
Keywords: Motility-induced phase separation; confinement; micro-robotics