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 of the barrier controls the affinity of the dense phase for the barrier region. We uncover clear signatures of a wetting phase transition as 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.
- 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)
synopsis
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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