Abstract
We consider a microscopic field theoretical approach for interacting active nematic particles. With only steric interactions the self-propulsion strength in such systems can lead to different collective behaviour, e.g. synchronized self-spinning and collective translation. The different behaviour results from the delicate interplay between internal nematic structure, particle shape deformation and particle–particle interaction. For intermediate active strength an asymmetric particle shape emerges and leads to chirality and self-spinning crystals. For larger active strength the shape is symmetric and translational collective motion emerges. Within circular confinements, depending on the packing fraction, the self-spinning regime either stabilizes positional and orientational order or can lead to edge currents and global rotation which destroys the synchronized self-spinning crystalline structure.Graphical abstract
Highlights
Active matter systems take energy from their environment and drive themselves out of equilibrium
For the circular or spinning regime the shape deformation is asymmetric with respect to the direction of movement and the defect asymmetry increases with v0
It induces within a certain parameter range chirality, which leads to circular or spinning motion. If it is above some threshold, a symmetric shape and translational motion emerge
Summary
Active matter systems take energy from their environment and drive themselves out of equilibrium This can lead to novel collective phenomena and provides hope to uncover the physics of living systems and to find new strategies for designing smart devices and materials. Most of the microscopic modelling approaches in this field consider active particles which have a fixed symmetric shape, and movement is defined along a symmetry axis. This leads to motion along a straight line just perturbed by random, e.g. Brownian fluctuations. It has already been demonstrated that collisions of deformable objects can lead to alignment [14,19–21] As a result, these multiphase-field models do not require any explicit alignment interactions.
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