Generalized thermodynamics of phase equilibria in scalar active matter
Author(s)
Stenhammar, Joakim; Cates, Michael E.; Kafri, Yariv; Tailleur, Julien; Solon, Alexandre
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Motility-induced phase separation (MIPS) arises generically in fluids of self-propelled particles when interactions lead to a kinetic slowdown at high densities. Starting from a continuum description of scalar active matter akin to a generalized Cahn-Hilliard equation, we give a general prescription for the mean densities of coexisting phases in flux-free steady states that amounts, at a hydrodynamics scale, to extremizing an effective free energy. We illustrate our approach on two well-known models: self-propelled particles interacting either through a density-dependent propulsion speed or via direct pairwise forces. Our theory accounts quantitatively for their phase diagrams, providing a unified description of MIPS.
Date issued
2018-02Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of PhysicsJournal
Physical Review E
Publisher
American Physical Society
Citation
Solon, Alexandre P. et al. "Generalized thermodynamics of phase equilibria in scalar active matter." Physical Review E 97, 2 (February 2018): 020602(R) © 2018 American Physical Society
Version: Final published version
ISSN
2470-0045
2470-0053