arXiv · 1712.00112
Self-organized Clusters in Diffusive Run-and-Tumble Processes
Abstract
We analyze a simplistic model for run-and-tumble dynamics, motivated by observations of complex spatio-temporal patterns in colonies of myxobacteria. In our model, agents run with fixed speed either left or right, and agents turn with a density-dependent nonlinear turning rate, in addition to diffusive Brownian motion. We show how a very simple nonlinearity in the turning rate can mediate the formation of self-organized stationary clusters and fronts. Phenomenologically, we demonstrate the formation of barriers, where high concentrations of agents at the boundary of a cluster, moving towards the center of a cluster, prevent the agents caught in the cluster from escaping. Mathematically, we analyze stationary solutions in a four-dimensional ODE with a conserved quantity and a reversibility symmetry, using a combination of bifurcation methods, geometric arguments, and numerical continuation. We also present numerical results on the temporal stability of the solutions found here.
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Patrick Flynn, Quinton Neville, Arnd Scheel. 2017-11-30. Self-organized Clusters in Diffusive Run-and-Tumble Processes. https://arxiv.org/abs/1712.00112
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