Continuum Theory of Phase Separation Kinetics for Active Brownian Particles

Joakim Stenhammar; Adriano Tiribocchi; Rosalind J. Allen; Davide Marenduzzo; Michael E. Cates

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.145702

Continuum Theory of Phase Separation Kinetics for Active Brownian Particles

Joakim Stenhammar^*, Adriano Tiribocchi, Rosalind J. Allen, Davide Marenduzzo, Michael E. Cates

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Physics and Astronomy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Active Brownian particles (ABPs), when subject to purely repulsive interactions, are known to undergo activity-induced phase separation broadly resembling an equilibrium (attraction-induced) gas-liquid coexistence. Here we present an accurate continuum theory for the dynamics of phase-separating ABPs, derived by direct coarse graining, capturing leading-order density gradient terms alongside an effective bulk free energy. Such gradient terms do not obey detailed balance; yet we find coarsening dynamics closely resembling that of equilibrium phase separation. Our continuum theory is numerically compared to large-scale direct simulations of ABPs and accurately accounts for domain growth kinetics, domain topologies, and coexistence densities.

Original language	English
Article number	145702
Number of pages	5
Journal	Physical Review Letters
Volume	111
Issue number	14
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.145702
Publication status	Published - 2 Oct 2013

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

MOLECULAR-DYNAMICS
FLUCTUATIONS
BACTERIA
MATTER

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10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.145702

Design Principles for New Soft Materials
Cates, M. (Principal Investigator), Allen, R. (Co-investigator), Clegg, P. (Co-investigator), Evans, M. (Co-investigator), MacPhee, C. (Co-investigator), Marenduzzo, D. (Co-investigator) & Poon, W. (Co-investigator)
EPSRC
7/12/11 → 6/06/17
Project: Research

Cite this

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title = "Continuum Theory of Phase Separation Kinetics for Active Brownian Particles",

abstract = "Active Brownian particles (ABPs), when subject to purely repulsive interactions, are known to undergo activity-induced phase separation broadly resembling an equilibrium (attraction-induced) gas-liquid coexistence. Here we present an accurate continuum theory for the dynamics of phase-separating ABPs, derived by direct coarse graining, capturing leading-order density gradient terms alongside an effective bulk free energy. Such gradient terms do not obey detailed balance; yet we find coarsening dynamics closely resembling that of equilibrium phase separation. Our continuum theory is numerically compared to large-scale direct simulations of ABPs and accurately accounts for domain growth kinetics, domain topologies, and coexistence densities.",

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doi = "10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.145702",

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AU - Stenhammar, Joakim

AU - Tiribocchi, Adriano

AU - Allen, Rosalind J.

AU - Marenduzzo, Davide

AU - Cates, Michael E.

PY - 2013/10/2

Y1 - 2013/10/2

N2 - Active Brownian particles (ABPs), when subject to purely repulsive interactions, are known to undergo activity-induced phase separation broadly resembling an equilibrium (attraction-induced) gas-liquid coexistence. Here we present an accurate continuum theory for the dynamics of phase-separating ABPs, derived by direct coarse graining, capturing leading-order density gradient terms alongside an effective bulk free energy. Such gradient terms do not obey detailed balance; yet we find coarsening dynamics closely resembling that of equilibrium phase separation. Our continuum theory is numerically compared to large-scale direct simulations of ABPs and accurately accounts for domain growth kinetics, domain topologies, and coexistence densities.

AB - Active Brownian particles (ABPs), when subject to purely repulsive interactions, are known to undergo activity-induced phase separation broadly resembling an equilibrium (attraction-induced) gas-liquid coexistence. Here we present an accurate continuum theory for the dynamics of phase-separating ABPs, derived by direct coarse graining, capturing leading-order density gradient terms alongside an effective bulk free energy. Such gradient terms do not obey detailed balance; yet we find coarsening dynamics closely resembling that of equilibrium phase separation. Our continuum theory is numerically compared to large-scale direct simulations of ABPs and accurately accounts for domain growth kinetics, domain topologies, and coexistence densities.

KW - MOLECULAR-DYNAMICS

KW - FLUCTUATIONS

KW - BACTERIA

KW - MATTER

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DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.145702

M3 - Article

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SN - 0031-9007

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JO - Physical Review Letters

JF - Physical Review Letters

IS - 14

M1 - 145702

ER -

Continuum Theory of Phase Separation Kinetics for Active Brownian Particles

Abstract

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

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Design Principles for New Soft Materials

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