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arXiv · 2309.04942

Inertial self-propelled particles in anisotropic environments

Alexander R. Sprenger·Christian Scholz·Anton Ldov·Raphael Wittkowski·Hartmut Löwen
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Abstract

Self-propelled particles in anisotropic environments can exhibit a motility that depends on their orientation. This dependence is relevant for a plethora of living organisms but difficult to study in controlled environments. Here, we present a macroscopic system of self-propelled vibrated granular particles on a striated substrate that displays orientation-dependent motility. An extension of the active Brownian motion model involving orientation-dependent motility and inertial effects reproduces and explains our experimental observations. The model can be applied to general $n$-fold symmetric anisotropy and can be helpful for predictive optimization of the dynamics of active matter in complex environments.

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Alexander R. Sprenger, Christian Scholz, Anton Ldov, Raphael Wittkowski, Hartmut Löwen. 2023-09-10. Inertial self-propelled particles in anisotropic environments. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-023-01396-6

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