Related papers: Activity-controlled clogging and unclogging of mic…
Forcing dense suspensions of non-cohesive particles through constrictions might either result in a continuous flow, an intermittent one, or indefinite interruption of flow, i.e., a clog. While one of the most important (and obvious)…
We investigate the phase behavior and kinetics of a monodisperse mixture of active (\textit{i.e.}, self-propelled) and passive isometric Brownian particles through Brownian dynamics simulations and theory. As in a purely active system,…
We introduce a kinetic Monte-Carlo model for self-propelled hard disks to capture with minimal ingredients the interplay between thermal fluctuations, excluded volume and self-propulsion in large assemblies of active particles. We analyze…
In equilibrium, colloidal suspensions governed by short-range attractive and long-range repulsive interactions form thermodynamically stable clusters. Using Brownian dynamics computer simulations, we investigate how this equilibrium…
Based on Brownian Dynamics (BD) simulations, we study the dynamical self-assembly of active Brownian particles with dipole-dipole interactions, stemming from a permanent point dipole at the particle center. The propulsion direction of each…
We study numerically how multiple deformable capsules squeeze into a constriction. This situation is largely encountered in microfluidic chips designed to manipulate living cells, which are soft entities. We use fully three-dimensional…
Active fluids operate by constantly dissipating energy at the particle level to perform a directed motion, yielding dynamics and phases without any equilibrium equivalent. The emerging behaviors have been studied extensively, yet…
We model collective disk flow though a square array of obstacles as the flow direction is changed relative to the symmetry directions of the array. At lower disk densities there is no clogging for any driving direction, but as the disk…
The clogging behavior of a symmetric binary mixture of particles that are driven in opposite directions through constrictions is explored by Brownian dynamics simulations and theory. A dynamical state with a spontaneously broken symmetry…
Flows of particles through bottlenecks are ubiquitous in nature and industry, involving both dry granular materials and suspensions. However, practical limitations of conventional experimental setups hinder the full understanding of these…
We report on a microfluidic method that allows measurement of a small concentration of large contaminants in suspensions of solid micrometer-scale particles. To perform the measurement, we flow the colloidal suspension through a series of…
Using numerical simulations, we examine a simple model of two or more coupled one-dimensional channels of driven particles with repulsive interactions in the presence of quenched disorder. We find that this model exhibits a remarkably rich…
Over the past few years the displacement statistics of self-propelled particles has been intensely studied, revealing their long-time diffusive behavior. Here, we demonstrate that a concerted combination of boundary conditions and switching…
We present a simple chemical strategy for the formation of a self-propelling cluster via the process of capture and assembly of passive colloids on the surface of a chemically active colloid. The two species of colloids that are isotropic…
The sudden arrest of motion due to confinement is commonly observed via the clogging transition in the flow of particles through a constriction. We present results of a simple experiment to elucidate a similar transition in the…
We study the appearance and properties of cluster crystals (solids in which the unit cell is occupied by a cluster of particles) in a two-dimensional system of self-propelled active Brownian particles with repulsive interactions.…
We study systems of active particles, whose perception is constrained by a vision cone, that are attracted to other particles and repelled from static obstacles. We report a novel self-trapping mechanism: active particles with…
Accumulation of particles while flowing past constrictions is a ubiquitous phenomenon observed in diverse systems. Some of the common examples are jamming of salt crystals near the orifice of salt shakers, clogging of filter systems,…
Dynamical clustering represents a characteristic feature of active matter consisting of self-propelled agents that convert energy from the environment into mechanical motion. At the micron scale, typical of overdamped dynamics, particles…
Clogging of microchannels due to particle adhesion on the walls is a serious problem in many industrial processes. As such, the service life of microfluidic systems is determined by their ability to maintain flow without interruption over a…