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arXiv · 2312.17602

Asymmetric Nucleation Processes in Spontaneous Mode Switch of Active Matter

Bing Yang·Yanting Wang
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Abstract

Flocking and vortical are two typical motion modes in active matter. Although it is known that the two modes can spontaneously switch between each other in a finite-size system, the switching dynamics remain elusive. In this work, by computer simulation of a two-dimensional Vicsek-like system with 1000 particles, we find from the perspective of classical nucleation theory that the forward and backward switching dynamics are asymmetric: from flocking to vortical is a one-step nucleation process, while the opposite is a two-step nucleation process with the system staying in a metastable state before reaching the final flocking state.

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Bing Yang, Yanting Wang. 2023-12-29. Asymmetric Nucleation Processes in Spontaneous Mode Switch of Active Matter. https://doi.org/10.1088/1572-9494%2Fad3426

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