Abstract
Motivated by recent experiments, we study a system of self-propelled colloids that experience short-range attractive interactions and are confined to a surface. Using simulations we find that the phase behavior for such a system is reentrant as a function of activity: phase-separated states exist in both the low- and high-activity regimes, with a homogeneous active fluid in between. To understand the physical origins of reentrance, we develop a kinetic model for the system's steady-state dynamics whose solution captures the main features of the phase behavior. We also describe the varied kinetics of phase separation, which range from the familiar nucleation and growth of clusters to the complex coarsening of active particle gels.
- Received 19 April 2013
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.88.012305
©2013 American Physical Society
Focus
Particle Clustering Phenomena Inspire Multiple Explanations
Published 11 December 2013
Tiny particles that actively move through a fluid exhibit various modes of organization that are still not fully understood.
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