Project Details
Projekt
Dynamical aggregation of self-propelled colloidal particles
Applicants
Professor Dr. Thomas Speck; Dr. Peter Virnau
Subject Area
Statistical Physics, Nonlinear Dynamics, Complex Systems, Soft and Fluid Matter, Biological Physics
Term
from 2014 to 2022
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 254473714
We study the collective behavior of minimal models for artificial colloidal self-propelled particles. These "active" particles are envisioned for a range of applications, e.g., for the efficient delivery of drugs and the design of non-equilibrium materials with structures and functionalities that would be impossible to achieve in passive materials. The models are characterized by the combination of short-range interactions with directed motion, the sustenance of which requires steady work. Even though these systems are genuinely out-of-equilibrium, the observed large-scale collective behavior often resembles that of passive systems, which can tentatively be explained due to the local, autonomous character of the driving. Within a statistical physics framework, qualitatively different behavior of these models can be associated with phases of matter, which provides a powerful link to established concepts in computational statistical physics and the theory of liquids. In this project, we aim to exploit this link and to develop a comprehensive theoretical description for the phase behavior of non-equilibrium aggregation of self-propelled particles combining two complementary approaches: large-scale numerical simulations and analytical modeling based on a dynamical mean-field theory.
DFG Programme
Priority Programmes
International Connection
USA
Cooperation Partner
Professor Dr. Sergei A. Egorov
