Title

Fluctuations and Pattern Formation in Self-Propelled Particles

Author(s)/Creator(s)

Shradha Mishra, Syracuse University
Aparna Baskaran, Syracuse University
M. Cristina Marchetti, Syracuse UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Date

4-19-2010

Keywords

condensed matter, statistical mechanics, quantitative methods

Language

English

Disciplines

Physics

Description/Abstract

We consider a coarse-grained description of a system of self-propelled particles given by hydrodynamic equations for the density and polarization fields. We find that the ordered moving or flocking state of the system is unstable to spatial fluctuations beyond a threshold set by the self-propulsion velocity of the individual units. In this region, the system organizes itself into an inhomogeneous state of well-defined propagating stripes of flocking particles interspersed with low density disordered regions. Further, we find that even in the regime where the homogeneous flocking state is stable, the system exhibits large fluctuations in both density and orientational order. We study the hydrodynamic equations analytically and numerically to characterize both regimes.

Additional Information

This manuscript is from arXiv.org, to find out more see http://arxiv.org/abs/1001.3334

Recommended Citation

arXiv:1001.3334v2

Source

harvested from arXiv.org