We use the Fokker Planck equation as a starting point for studying the orientational probability distribution of an Active Brownian Particle (ABP) in $(d+1)$ dimensions. This Fokker Planck equation admits an exact solution in series form which is, however, unwieldly to use because of poor convergence for short and intermediate times. A truncated version of this series is a reasonable approximation for long times. In this paper, we present an analytical closed form expression, which gives a good approximate orientational probability distribution, which is derived using saddle point methods for short times. However, it works well even for intermediate times. Thus, we have simple analytical forms for the ${\it entire}$ range of time scales for the orientational probability distribution of an ABP. Our predictions can be tested against future experiments and simulations probing orientational probability distribution of an ABP.
We explore the changes in static structure of a two-dimensional system of active Brownian particles (ABP) with hard-disk interactions, using event-driven Brownian dynamics simulations. In particular, the effect of the self-propulsion velocity and the rotational diffusivity on the orientationally-averaged fluid structure factor is discussed. Typically activity increases structural ordering and generates a structure factor peak at zero wave vector which is a precursor of motility-induced phase separation. Our results provide reference data to test future statistical theories for the fluid struct…
By now active Brownian motion is a well-established model to describe the motion of mesoscopic self-propelled particles in a Newtonian fluid. On the basis of the generalized Langevin equation, we present an analytic framework for active Brownian motion with memory delay assuming time-dependent friction kernels for both translational and orientational degrees of freedom to account for the time-delayed response of a viscoelastic medium. Analytical results are obtained for the orientational correlation function, mean displacement and mean-square displacement which we evaluate in particular for a …
We consider the motion of an active Brownian particle with speed fluctuations in d-dimensions in the presence of both translational and orientational diffusion. We use an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process for active speed generation. Using a Laplace transform approach, we describe and use a Fokker-Planck equation-based method to evaluate the exact time dependence of all relevant dynamical moments. We present explicit calculations of such moments and compare our analytical predictions against numerical simulations to demonstrate and analyze several dynamical crossovers. The kurtosis of displacement sh…
We re-examine the ordering behavior of a one-dimensional fluid of freely rotating hard needles, where the centers of mass of the particles are restricted to a line. Analytical equations are obtained for the equation of state, order parameter and orientational correlation functions using the transfer-matrix method if some simplifying assumptions are applied for either the orientational freedom or the contact distance between two needles. The two-state Zwanzig model accounts for the orientational ordering, but it produces unphysical pressure at high densities and there is no orientational correl…
We study the two-dimensional overdamped motion of an active particle whose orientational dynamics is subject to fractional Brownian noise, whereas its position is affected by self-propulsion and Brownian fluctuations. From a Langevin-like model of active motion with constant swimming speed, we derive the corresponding Fokker-Planck equation, from which we find the angular probability density of the particle orientation for arbitrary values of the Hurst exponent that characterizes the fractional rotational noise. We provide analytical expressions for the velocity autocorrelation function and th…
We have performed a case study investigating a recently proposed scheme to obtain an effective pair potential for active Brownian particles [Farage et al., Phys. Rev. E 91, 042310 (2015)]. Applying this scheme to the Lennard-Jones potential, numerical simulations of active Brownian particles are compared to simulations of passive Brownian particles interacting by the effective pair potential. Analyzing the static pair correlations, our results indicate a limited range of activity parameters (speed and orientational correlation time) for which we obtain quantitative, or even qualitative, agreem…
We present an analogy between the classic Gambler's Ruin problem and the thermally-activated dynamics in periodic Brownian ratchets. By considering each periodic unit of the ratchet as a site chain, we calculated the transition probabilities and mean first passage time for transitions between energy minima of adjacent units. We consider the specific case of Brownian ratchets driven by Markov dichotomous noise. The explicit solution for the current is derived for any arbitrary temperature, and is verified numerically by Langevin simulations. The conditions for vanishing current and current reve…
At thermal equilibrium, intensive quantities like temperature and pressure have to be uniform throughout the system, restricting inhomogeneous systems composed of different phases. The paradigmatic example is the coexistence of vapor and liquid, a state that can also be observed for active Brownian particles steadily driven away from equilibrium. Recently, a strategy has been proposed that allows to predict phase equilibria of active particles [Phys. Rev. E \textbf{97}, 020602(R)(2018)]. Here we elaborate on this strategy and formulate it in the framework of a van der Waals theory for active d…
We use computer simulations to study the onset of collective motion in systems of interacting active particles. Our model is a swarm of active Brownian particles with internal energy depot and interactions inspired by the dissipative particle dynamics method, imposing pairwise friction force on the nearest neighbours. We study orientational ordering in a 2D system as a function of energy influx rate and particle density. The model demonstrates a transition into the ordered state on increasing the particle density and increasing the input power. Although both the alignment mechanism and the cha…
Brownian dynamics is a popular fine-grained method for simulating systems of interacting particles, such as chemical reactions. Though the method is simple to simulate, it is generally assumed that the dynamics is impossible to solve exactly and analytically, aside from some trivial systems. We here give the first exact analytical solution to a non-trivial Brownian dynamics system: the reaction $A+B\xrightleftharpoons[]{}C$ in equilibrium in one-dimensional periodic space. The solution is a function of the particles' diffusion coefficients, radii, length of space and unbinding distance.
Brownian motion of a particle with an arbitrary shape is investigated theoretically. Analytical expressions for the time-dependent cross-correlations of the Brownian translational and rotational displacements are derived from the Smoluchowski equation. The role of the particle mobility center is determined and discussed.
We put forward a simple procedure for extracting dynamical information from Monte Carlo simulations, by appropriate matching of the short-time diffusion tensor with its infinite-dilution limit counterpart, which is supposed to be known. This approach --discarding hydrodynamics interactions-- first allows us to improve the efficiency of previous Dynamic Monte Carlo algorithms for spherical Brownian particles. In a second step, we address the case of anisotropic colloids with orientational degrees of freedom. As an illustration, we present a detailed study of the dynamics of thin platelets, with…
We consider a Brownian particle moving on a ring. We study the probability distributions of the total number of turns and the net number of counter-clockwise turns the particle makes till time t. Using a method based on the renewal properties of Brownian walker, we find exact analytical expressions of these distributions. This method serves as an alternative to the standard path integral techniques which are not always easily adaptable for certain observables. For large t, we show that these distributions have Gaussian scaling forms. We also compute large deviation functions associated to thes…
An asymmetric object, undergoing dissipative collisions with surrounding particles, acquires a nonzero average velocity. The latter is calculated analytically by an expansion of the Boltzmann equation and the result is compared with Monte Carlo simulations.
Using an additivity property, we study particle-number fluctuations in a system of interacting self-propelled particles, called active Brownian particles (ABPs), which consists of repulsive disks with random self-propulsion velocities. From a fluctuation-response relation - a direct consequence of additivity, we formulate a thermodynamic theory which captures the previously observed features of nonequilibrium phase transition in the ABPs from a homogeneous fluid phase to an inhomogeneous phase of coexisting gas and liquid. We substantiate the predictions of additivity by analytically calculati…
Structure and ordering in swarms of active particles have much in common with condensed matter systems like magnets or liquid crystals. A number of important characteristics of such materials can be obtained via dynamic tests such as hysteresis. In this work, we show that dynamic hysteresis can be observed also in swarms of active particles and possesses similar properties to the counterparts in magnetic materials. To study the swarm dynamics, we use computer simulations of the active Brownian particle model with dissipative interactions. The swarm is confined to a narrow linear channel and th…
Recent studies on Brownian motors driven by colored non Gaussian noises have shown that the departure of the noise distribution from Gaussian behavior induces an enhancement of its current and efficiency. Here we discuss some new aspects of this phenomenon focusing in some analytical results based in an adiabatic approximation, and in the analysis of the long probability distribution tails' role.
We examine the non-ergodic properties of scaled Brownian motion, a non-stationary stochastic process with a time dependent diffusivity of the form $D(t)\simeq t^{α-1}$. We compute the ergodicity breaking parameter EB in the entire range of scaling exponents $α$, both analytically and via extensive computer simulations of the stochastic Langevin equation. We demonstrate that in the limit of long trajectory lengths $T$ and short lag times $Δ$ the EB parameter as function of the scaling exponent $α$ has no divergence at $α=1/2$ and present the asymptotes for EB in different limits. We generalise …
We propose a simple conjecture for the functional form of the asymptotic behavior of work distributions for driven overdamped Brownian motion of a particle in confining potentials. This conjecture is motivated by the fact that these functional forms are independent of the velocity of the driving for all potentials and protocols, where explicit analytical solutions for the work distributions have been derived in the literature. To test the conjecture, we use Brownian dynamics simulations and a recent theory developed by Engel and Nickelsen (EN theory), which is based on the contraction principl…
Active Brownian particles display self-propelled movement, which can be modelled as arising from a one-body force. Although their interparticle interactions are purely repulsive, for strong self propulsion the swimmers phase separate into dilute and dense phases. We describe in detail a recent theory (Phys. Rev. E 100, 052604 (2019); Phys. Rev. Lett. 128, 26802 (2019)) for such motility induced phase-separation. Starting from the continuity equation and the force density balance, the description is based on four superadiabatic contributions to the internal force density. Here the superadiabati…
We consider a single Brownian particle in one dimension in a medium at a constant temperature in the underdamped regime. We stochastically reset the position of the Brownian particle to a fixed point in the space with a constant rate $r$ whereas its velocity evolves irrespective of the position of the particle and stochastic resetting mechanism. The nonequilibrium steady state of the position distribution is studied for this model system. Further, we study the distribution of the position of the particle in the finite time and the approach to the nonequilibrium steady state distribution with t…
Heat fluctuation probability distribution function in Brownian transducers operating between two heat reservoirs is studied. We find, both analytically and numerically, that the recently proposed Fluctuation Theorem for Heat Exchange [C. Jarzynski and D. K. Wojcik, Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 230602 (2004)] has to be modified when the coupling mechanism between both baths is considered. We also extend such relation when external work is present. Our work fixes the domain of applicability of the theorem in more realistic operating systems.
Fractional Brownian motion is a non-Markovian Gaussian process $X_t$, indexed by the Hurst exponent $H$. It generalises standard Brownian motion (corresponding to $H=1/2$). We study the probability distribution of the maximum $m$ of the process and the time $t_{\rm max}$ at which the maximum is reached. They are encoded in a path integral, which we evaluate perturbatively around a Brownian, setting $H=1/2 + \varepsilon$. This allows us to derive analytic results beyond the scaling exponents. Extensive numerical simulations for different values of $H$ test these analytical predictions and show …
We study the free diffusion in two dimensions of active-Brownian swimmers subject to passive fluctuations on the translational motion and to active fluctuations on the rotational one. The Smoluchowski equation is derived from a Langevin-like model of active swimmers, and analytically solved in the long-time regime for arbitrary values of the Péclet number, this allows us to analyze the out-of-equilibrium evolution of the positions distribution of active particles at all time regimes. Explicit expressions for the mean-square displacement and for the kurtosis of the probability distribution func…
The orientational memory of particles can serve as an effective measure of diffusivity, spreading, and search efficiency in complex stochastic processes. We develop a theoretical framework to describe the decay of directional correlations in a generic class of stochastic active processes consisting of distinct states of motion characterized by their persistence and switching probabilities between the states. For exponentially distributed sojourn times, the orientation autocorrelation is analytically derived and the characteristic times of its crossovers are obtained in terms of the persistence…
The transport properties of Brownian ratchet was studied in the presence of stochastic intensity noise (SIN) in both overdamped and underdamped regimes. In the overdamped case, analytical solution using the matrix continued fraction method revealed the existence of a maximum current when the noise intensity fluctuates on intermediate time scale regions. Similar effects were observed for the underdamped case by Monte Carlo simulations. The optimal time-correlation for the Brownian transport coincided with the experimentally observed time-correlation of the extrinsic noise in Esherichia coli gen…
We study the survival probability and the corresponding first passage time density of fractional Brownian motion confined to a two-dimensional open wedge domain with absorbing boundaries. By analytical arguments and numerical simulation we show that in the long time limit the first passage time density scales as t**{-1+pi*(2H-2)/(2*Theta)} in terms of the Hurst exponent H and the wedge angle Theta. We discuss this scaling behaviour in connection with the reaction kinetics of FBM particles in a one-dimensional domain.
A time-delayed response of individual living organisms to information exchanged within flocks or swarms leads to the emergence of complex collective behaviors. A recent experimental setup by (Khadka et al 2018 Nat. Commun. 9 3864), employing synthetic microswimmers, allows to emulate and study such behavior in a controlled way, in the lab. Motivated by these experiments, we study a system of N Brownian particles interacting via a retarded harmonic interaction. For $N \leq 3$ , we characterize its collective behavior analytically, by solving the pertinent stochastic delay-differential equations…
It is known that a full description of Brownian motion in the entire course of time should incorporate both kinetic and hydrodynamic effects, but a formula accounts for both effects has been established only in three dimension and only for the limiting case when Brownian particles are much bigger and heavier than fluid particles. Nevertheless, for applications, it is important to consider small Brownian particles (sometimes even smaller than fluid particles). In these cases, unfortunately, only formulae in the short (long) time limit considering exclusively kinetic (hydrodynamic) effect are av…
We analyze a model of active Brownian particles with non-linear friction and velocity coupling in one spatial dimension. The model exhibits two modes of motion observed in biological swarms: A disordered phase with vanishing mean velocity and an ordered phase with finite mean velocity. Starting from the microscopic Langevin equations, we derive mean-field equations of the collective dynamics. We identify the fixed points of the mean-field equations corresponding to the two modes and analyze their stability with respect to the model parameters. Finally, we compare our analytical findings with n…
We study the Brownian dynamics of a solid particle on a vibrating solid surface. Phenomenologically, the interaction between the two solid surfaces is modeled by solid friction, and the Gaussian white noise models the vibration of the solid surface. The solid friction is proportional to the sign of relative velocity. We derive the Fokker-Planck (FP) equation for the time-dependent probability distribution to find the particle at a given location. We calculate analytically the steady state velocity distribution function, mean-squared velocity and diffusion coefficient in $d$ dimensions. We pres…
We provide an exact analytical solution of the collapse dynamics of self-gravitating Brownian particles and bacterial populations at zero temperature. These systems are described by the Smoluchowski-Poisson system or Keller-Segel model in which the diffusion term is neglected. As a result, the dynamics is purely deterministic. A cold system undergoes a gravitational collapse leading to a finite time singularity: the central density increases and becomes infinite in a finite time t_coll. The evolution continues in the post collapse regime. A Dirac peak emerges, grows and finally captures all th…
A system reservoir model, where the associated reservoir is modulated by an external colored random force, is proposed to study the transport of an overdamped Brownian particle in a periodic potential. We then derive the analytical expression for the average velocity, mobility, and diffusion rate. The bistable kinetics and escape rate from a metastable state in the overdamped region are studied consequently. By numerical simulation we then demonstrate that our analytical escape rate is in good agreement with that of numerical result.
We investigate the statistical properties of an over-damped Brownian particle that is trapped by a harmonic potential and simultaneously exposed to a linear shear flow or to a plane Poiseuille flow. Its probability distribution is determined via the corresponding Smoluchowski equation, which is solved analytically for a linear shear flow. In the case of a plane Poiseuille flow, analytical approximations for the distribution are obtained by a perturbation analysis and they are substantiated by numerical results. There is a good agreement between the two approaches for a wide range of parameters…
A dilute suspension of motile microorganisms subjected to a strong ambient flow, such as algae in the ocean, can be modelled as a population of non-interacting, orientable active Brownian particles (ABPs). Using the Smoluchowski equation (i.e. Fokker-Planck equation in space and orientation), one can describe the non-trivial transport phenomena of ABPs such as taxis and shear-induced migration. This work transforms the Smoluchowski equation into a transport equation, in which the drifts and dispersions can be further approximated as a function of the local flow field. The new model can be appl…
We consider chirality in active systems by exemplarily studying the phase behavior of planar systems of interacting Brownian circle swimmers with a spherical shape. Continuing previous work presented in [G.-J. Liao, S. H. L. Klapp, Soft Matter, 2018, 14, 7873-7882], we derive a predictive field theory that is able to describe the collective dynamics of circle swimmers. The theory yields a mapping between circle swimmers and noncircling active Brownian particles and predicts that the angular propulsion of the particles leads to a suppression of their motility-induced phase separation, being in …
Dense assemblies of self propelled particles, also known as active or living glasses are abundantaround us, covering different length and time scales: from the cytoplasm to tissues, from bacterialbio-films to vehicular traffic jams, from Janus colloids to animal herds. Being structurally disorderedas well as strongly out of equilibrium, these systems show fascinating dynamical and mechanicalproperties. Using extensive molecular dynamics simulation and a number of different dynamicaland mechanical order parameters we differentiate three dynamical steady states in a sheared modelactive glassy sy…
We study the dynamics of solutions of infinitely thin needles up to densities deep in the semidilute regime by Brownian dynamics simulations. For high densities, these solutions become strongly entangled and the motion of a needle is essentially restricted to a one-dimensional sliding in a confining tube composed of neighboring needles. From the density-dependent behavior of the orientational and translational diffusion, we extract the long-time transport coefficients and the geometry of the confining tube. The sliding motion within the tube becomes visible in the non-Gaussian parameter of the…
Brownian dynamics of a self-propelled particle in linear shear flow is studied analytically by solving the Langevin equation and in simulation. The particle has a constant propagation speed along a fluctuating orientation and is additionally subjected to a constant torque. In two spatial dimensions, the mean trajectory and the mean square displacement (MSD) are calculated as functions of time t analytically. In general, the mean trajectories are cycloids that are modified by finite temperature effects. With regard to the MSD different regimes are identified where the MSD scales with t^a with a…
We study the steady-state behavior of active, dipolar, Brownian spheroids in a planar channel subjected to an imposed Couette flow and an external transverse field, applied in the 'downward' normal-to-flow direction. The field-induced torque on active spheroids (swimmers) is taken to be of magnetic form by assuming that they have a permanent magnetic dipole moment, pointing along their self-propulsion (swim) direction. Using a continuum approach, we show that a host of behaviors emerge over the parameter space spanned by the particle aspect ratio, self-propulsion and shear/field strengths, and…
Microswimmers typically operate in complex environments. In biological systems, often diverse species are simultaneously present and interact with each other. Here, we derive a (time-dependent) particle-scale statistical description, namely a dynamical density functional theory, for such multi-species systems, extending existing works on one-component microswimmer suspensions. In particular, our theory incorporates the effect of external potentials, but also steric and hydrodynamic interactions between swimmers. For the latter, a previously introduced force-dipole-based minimal (pusher or pull…
