Flocking at a distance in active granular matter

Nitin Kumar, Harsh Soni, Sriram Ramaswamy () and A. K. Sood
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Nitin Kumar: Indian Institute of Science
Harsh Soni: Indian Institute of Science
Sriram Ramaswamy: Indian Institute of Science
A. K. Sood: Indian Institute of Science

Nature Communications, 2014, vol. 5, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract The self-organized motion of vast numbers of creatures in a single direction is a spectacular example of emergent order. Here, we recreate this phenomenon using actuated nonliving components. We report here that millimetre-sized tapered rods, rendered motile by contact with an underlying vibrated surface and interacting through a medium of spherical beads, undergo a phase transition to a state of spontaneous alignment of velocities and orientations above a threshold bead area fraction. Guided by a detailed simulation model, we construct an analytical theory of this flocking transition, with two ingredients: a moving rod drags beads; neighbouring rods reorient in the resulting flow like a weathercock in the wind. Theory and experiment agree on the structure of our phase diagram in the plane of rod and bead concentrations and power-law spatial correlations near the phase boundary. Our discovery suggests possible new mechanisms for the collective transport of particulate or cellular matter.

Date: 2014
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:5:y:2014:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms5688

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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5688

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