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Wetting Transition of Active Brownian Particles on a Thin Membrane

Francesco Turci and Nigel B. Wilding
Phys. Rev. Lett. 127, 238002 – Published 1 December 2021
Physics logo See synopsis: How an Active Liquid Wets a Surface
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Abstract

We study nonequilibrium analogues of surface phase transitions in a minimal model of active particles in contact with a purely repulsive potential barrier that mimics a thin porous membrane. Under conditions of bulk motility-induced phase separation, the interaction strength ϵw of the barrier controls the affinity of the dense phase for the barrier region. We uncover clear signatures of a wetting phase transition as ϵw is varied. In common with its equilibrium counterpart, the character of this transition depends on the system dimensionality: a continuous transition with large density fluctuations and gas bubbles is uncovered in 2D while 3D systems exhibit a sharp transition absent of large correlations.

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  • Received 30 July 2021
  • Revised 14 October 2021
  • Accepted 1 November 2021

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.238002

© 2021 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Polymers & Soft MatterStatistical Physics & Thermodynamics

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How an Active Liquid Wets a Surface

Published 1 December 2021

The conditions that make liquid stick to a permeable membrane could elucidate how bacteria form films, and help researchers design tiny swimming robots.

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Authors & Affiliations

Francesco Turci* and Nigel B. Wilding

  • H.H.Wills Physics Laboratory, Royal Fort, Bristol BS8 1TL, United Kingdom

  • *Corresponding author. f.turci@bristol.ac.uk

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Issue

Vol. 127, Iss. 23 — 3 December 2021

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