A Continuum Theory of Phase Separation Kinetics for Active Brownian Particles

Joakim Stenhammar, Adriano Tiribocchi, Rosalind J. Allen, Davide Marenduzzo, Michael E. Cates

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Abstract

Active Brownian particles (ABPs), when subject to purely repulsive interactions, are known to undergo activity-induced phase separation broadly resembling an equilibrium (attraction-induced) gas-liquid coexistence. Here we present an accurate continuum theory for the dynamics of phase-separating ABPs, derived by direct coarse-graining, capturing leading-order density gradient terms alongside an effective bulk free energy. Such gradient terms do not obey detailed balance; yet we find coarsening dynamics closely resembling that of equilibrium phase separation. Our continuum theory is numerically compared to large-scale direct simulations of ABPs and accurately accounts for domain growth kinetics, domain topologies and coexistence densities.
Original languageEnglish
Article number145702
JournalPhysical Review Letters
Volume111
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2013

Subject classification (UKÄ)

  • Physical Chemistry (including Surface- and Colloid Chemistry)

Free keywords

  • Active Matter
  • Phase Separation Kinetics

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