Collective behavior of composite active particles.

Abstract

We describe simulations of active Brownian particles carried out to explore how dynamics and clustering are influenced by particle shape. Our particles are composed of four disks, held together by springs, whose relative size can be varied. These composite objects can be tuned smoothly from having a predominantly concave to a convex surface. We show that even two of these composite particles can exhibit collective motion which modifies the effective Peclet number. We then investigate how particle geometry can be used to explain the phase behavior of many such particles.