Soft confinement of self-propelled rods: simulation and theory.
Soft Matter
; 20(10): 2331-2337, 2024 Mar 06.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38372150
ABSTRACT
We present an analytical framework for evolving the dynamics of active rods under any periodic external potential, including confining channels and arrays of harmonic traps. As a proof of concept, we analyze the structure and dispersion of self-propelled rods under a soft, periodic one-dimensional (1D) confinement potential and under a two-dimensional (2D) periodic radial harmonic trap. While passive rods and polymers nematically order under 1D confinement, their diffusive transport along the director is limited by thermal diffusion. In contrast, self-propelled rods can generate large convective fluxes when combined with nematic ordering, producing a strong dispersion along the director. Combining theory and simulation, we demonstrate that nematic alignment and self-propulsion generates an exponential enhancement in active diffusivity along the director, in contrast to passive rods that experience at most a 2-fold increase.
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MEDLINE
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En
Ano de publicação:
2024
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Article