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Cooperative Behavior and Pattern Formation in Mixtures of Driven and Nondriven Colloidal Assemblies

C. Reichhardt·C. J. Olson Reichhardt
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Abstract

We simulate a disordered assembly of particles interacting through a repulsive Yukawa potential with a small fraction of the particles coupled to an external drive. Distortions in the arrangement of the nondriven particles produce a dynamically induced effective attraction between the driven particles, giving rise to intermittent one-dimensional stringlike structures. The velocity of a moving string increases with the number of driven particles in the string. We identify the average stable string length as a function of driving force, background particle density, and particle charge. This model represents a new type of collective transport system composed of interacting particles moving through deformable disorder.

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C. Reichhardt, C. J. Olson Reichhardt. 2006-02-06. Cooperative Behavior and Pattern Formation in Mixtures of Driven and Nondriven Colloidal Assemblies. https://doi.org/10.1103/physreve.74.011403

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