arXiv subjects

T. Vicsek

Publications and source records attributed to T. Vicsek.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2000

The sound of many hands clapping

We report on a series of measurements aimed to characterize the development and the dynamics of the rhythmic applause in concert halls. Our results demonstrate that while this process shares many characteristics of other systems that are known to synchronize, it also has features that are unexpected and unaccounted for in many other systems. In particular, we find that the mechanism lying at the heart of the synchronization process is the period doubling of the clapping rhythm. The characteristic interplay between synchronized and unsynchronized regimes during the applause is the result of a frustration in the systems. All results are understandable in the framework of the Kuramoto model.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv1999

Jamming and Fluctuations in Granular Drag

We investigate the dynamic evolution of jamming in granular media through fluctuations in the granular drag force. The successive collapse and formation of jammed states give a stick-slip nature to the fluctuations which is independent of the contact surface between the grains and the dragged object -- thus implying that the stress-induced collapse is nucleated in the bulk of the granular sample. We also find that while the fluctuations are periodic at small depths, they become "stepped" at large depths, a transition which we interpret as a consequence of the long-range nature of the force chains.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv1999

Liquid induced transitions in granular media

We investigate the effect of interstitial liquid on the physical properties of granular media by measuring the angle of repose as a function of the liquid content. The resultant adhesive forces lead to three distinct regimes in the observed behavior as the liquid content is increased: a granular regime in which the grains move individually, a correlated regime in which the grains move in correlated clusters, and a plastic regime in which the grains flow coherently. We discuss these regimes in terms of two proposed theories describing the effects of liquid on the physical properties of granular media.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv1999

Locomotion and proliferation of glioblastoma cells in vitro: statistical evaluation of videomicroscopic observations

Long-term videomicroscopy and computer-aided statistical analysis were used to determine some characteristic parameters of in vitro cell motility and proliferation in three established cell lines derived from human glioblastoma tumors. Migration and proliferation activities were compared among the three cell lines since these are two features of tumor cells that strongly influence the progression of cancer. The results on these dynamical parameters of cell locomotion were compared to pathological data obtained by traditional methods. The data indicate that the analysis of cell motility provides more specific information and is potentially useful in diagnosis.

physics.bio-ph↗

arXiv1999

Collective Motion

With the aim of understanding the emergence of collective motion from local interactions of organisms in a "noisy" environment, we study biologically inspired, inherently non-equilibrium models consisting of self-propelled particles. In these models particles interact with their neighbors by turning towards the local average direction of motion. In the limit of vanishing velocities this behavior results in a dynamics analogous to some Monte Carlo realization of equilibrium ferromagnets. However, numerical simulations indicate the existence of new types of phase transitions which are not present in the corresponding ferromagnets. In particular, here we demonstrate both numerically and analytically that even in certain one dimensional self-propelled particle systems an ordered phase exists for finite noise levels.

physics.bio-ph↗

arXiv1999

Collective motion of organisms in three dimensions

We study a model of flocking in order to describe the transitions during the collective motion of organisms in three dimensions (e.g., birds). In this model the particles representing the organisms are self-propelled, i.e., they move with the same absolute velocity. In addition, the particles locally interact by choosing at each time step the average direction of motion of their neighbors and the effects of fluctuations are taken into account as well. We present the first results for large scale flocking in the presence of noise in three dimensions. We show that depending on the control parameters both disordered and long-range ordered phases can be observed. The corresponding phase diagram has a number of features which are qualitatively different from those typical for the analogous equilibrium models.

physics.bio-ph↗

arXiv1999

Exponential Distribution of Locomotion Activity in Cell Cultures

In vitro velocities of several cell types have been measured using computer controlled video microscopy, which allowed to record the cells' trajectories over several days. On the basis of our large data sets we show that the locomotion activity displays a universal exponential distribution. Thus, motion resulting from complex cellular processes can be well described by an unexpected, but very simple distribution function. A simple phenomenological model based on the interaction of various cellular processes and finite ATP production rate is proposed to explain these experimental results.

physics.bio-ph↗

arXiv1998

Collective Effects in the Horizontal Transport of Vertically Vibrated Granular Layers

Motivated by recent advances in the investigation of fluctuation-driven ratchets and flows in excited granular media, we have carried out experimental and simulational studies to explore the horizontal transport of granular particles in a vertically vibrated system whose base has a sawtooth-shaped profile. The resulting material flow exhibits novel collective behavior, both as a function of the number of layers of particles and the driving frequency; in particular, under certain conditions, increasing the layer thickness leads to a reversal of the current, while the onset of transport as a function of frequency can occur either gradually or suddenly in a manner reminiscent of a phase transition.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗