Diffusion and separation of binary mixtures of chiral active particles driven by time-delayed feedback

Abstract

Considering the periodic boundary conditions, a new prescription for separating binary mixtures of chiral active particles by time-delayed feedback in a two-dimensional square box is proposed. We investigate the angular velocity, the feedback intensity, the delayed time, the rotational diffusion coefficient, the self-propelled speed and the packing fraction as functions of the effective diffusion coefficient and the separation coefficient numerically by the extensive Brownian dynamics simulations. It is found that mixed chiral active particles be separated without time-delayed feedback, but the dynamics of chiral active particles are different obviously and mixed chiral particles can be separated when the time-delayed feedback is introduced. The particle configuration (mixing or demixing) is determined by the dominant factor of particles’ diffusion. We can control the extent to which the diffusion of counterclockwise (CCW) active particles is affected by the diffusion of clockwise (CW) active particles adjusting the strength and the delayed time of the feedback. The response to the feedback for different chiral particles show different behaviors under different system parameters. When the feedback intensity is strong and the delayed time is long enough, the angular velocity of counterclockwise particles is accelerated and the diffusion of which is dominated by the interactions between particles completely. However, the angular speed of clockwise particles change little and the diffusion of which is determined by its parameters and particle interactions jointly. In this case, the counterclockwise particles aggregate to form clusters easily, and the clockwise particles diffuse quickly, therefore, the mixed chirality active particles are separated. When the feedback intensity is weak and the delayed time is short, the chirality difference between different chiral particles modulated by the feedback is smaller than the former case. The diffusions of counterclockwise particles and clockwise particles are both determined by their parameters and particle interactions, and the particles are mixed. Our findings provide novel strategies for the experimental pursuit of separating mixed chiral active particles and could be applied practically in many biological circle swimmers, such as autochemotactic particles, the bacteria in an external light field and sperm cells with vortex motion.