Cluster Formation by Mobile Molecular Communication Systems

Abstract

This paper considers mobile molecular communication systems where mobile bio-nanomachines release signaling molecules to form a cluster of bio-nanomachines. This paper examines how the sensitivity of bio-nanomachines to detect signaling molecules impacts on cluster formation. When the sensitivity is high, each bio-nanomachine reacts to signaling molecules that it releases. When the sensitivity is low, a bio-nanomachine reacts to signaling molecules only when a group of bio-nanomachines collectively releases signaling molecules. We extend a rotational diffusion model to describe the mobility of bio-nanomachines by considering the sensitivity of bio-nanomachines to detect signaling molecules. We also develop measures to characterize formed clusters. Simulation experiment results are shown to demonstrate how the sensitivity of bio-nanomachine to detect signaling molecules impacts the number of clusters formed, the mean cluster size, the mean cluster diameter, and the mean nearest neighbor distance between clusters.