6533b826fe1ef96bd1283e80

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Estimation of the critical behavior in an active colloidal system with Vicsek-like interactions

Peter VirnauJonathan Tammo SiebertThomas SpeckKurt BinderBenjamin Trefz

subject

PhysicsGeneral Physics and AstronomyFOS: Physical sciences02 engineering and technologyRenormalization groupCondensed Matter - Soft Condensed Matter021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology01 natural sciencesCondensed Matter::Soft Condensed MatterColloidCritical point (thermodynamics)Phase (matter)0103 physical sciencesSoft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft)Statistical physicsPhysical and Theoretical Chemistry010306 general physics0210 nano-technologyCritical exponentPhase diagram

description

We study numerically the critical behavior of a modified, active Asakura-Oosawa model for colloid-polymer mixtures. The colloids are modeled as self-propelled particles with Vicsek-like interactions. This system undergoes phase separation between a colloid-rich and a polymer-rich phase, whereby the phase diagram depends on the strength of the Vicsek-like interactions. Employing a subsystem-block-density distribution analysis, we determine the critical point and make an attempt to estimate the critical exponents. In contrast to the passive model, we find that the critical point is not located on the rectilinear diameter. A first estimate of the critical exponents $\beta$ and $\nu$ is consistent with the underlying 3d-Ising universality class observed for the passive model.

https://dx.doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.1610.05916