Annual Review of Condensed Matter Physics· 2015Q1· Review
Motility-Induced Phase Separation
- 1,689citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2015year
Short summary
Self-propelled particles, by consuming energy, can spontaneously separate into dense and dilute fluid phases, a phenomenon known as Motility-Induced Phase Separation (MIPS). This process is driven by particles accumulating where they move slower, creating a positive feedback loop.
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Key points
- Self-propelled particles can undergo phase separation into dense and dilute fluids (MIPS).
- MIPS is driven by a positive feedback loop where particles accumulate in slower-moving areas.
- This non-equilibrium process bypasses standard thermodynamic laws.
- A mapping to equilibrium phase separation exists but breaks down at higher orders, revealing new effects.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Self-propelled particles include both self-phoretic synthetic colloids and various microorganisms. By continually consuming energy, they bypass the laws of equilibrium thermodynamics. These laws enforce the Boltzmann distribution in thermal equilibrium: The steady state is then independent of kinetic parameters. In contrast, self-propelled particles tend to accumulate where they move more slowly. They may also slow down at high density for either biochemical or steric reasons. This creates positive feedback, which can lead to motility-induced phase separation (MIPS) between dense and dilute fluid phases. At leading order in gradients, a mapping relates variable-speed, self-propelled particles to passive particles with attractions. This deep link to equilibrium phase separation is confirmed by simulations but generally breaks down at higher order in gradients: New effects, with no equilibrium counterpart, then emerge. We give a selective overview of the fast-developing field of MIPS, focusing on theory and simulation but including a brief speculative survey of its experimental implications.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Annual Review of Condensed Matter Physics, 2015 · DOI ↗
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Field: Condensed Matter Physics
Condensed Matter PhysicsPhysics and Astronomy