title: Motility versus fluctuations in mixtures of self-motile and passive agents.
abstract: Many biological systems consist of self-motile and passive agents both of which contribute to overall functionality. However, little is known about the properties of such mixtures. Here we formulate a model for mixtures of self-motile and passive agents and show that the model gives rise to three different dynamical phases: a disordered mesoturbulent phase, a polar flocking phase, and a vortical phase characterized by large-scale counter rotating vortices. We use numerical simulations to construct a phase diagram and compare the statistical properties of the different phases with observed features of self-motile bacterial suspensions. Our findings afford specific insights regarding the interaction of microorganisms and passive particles and provide novel strategic guidance for efficient technological realizations of artificial active matter.
authors.affiliation: Kamstrup A/S, Industrivej 28, Stilling, 8660 Skanderborg, Denmark.
authors.forename: Denis F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Hinz
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Panchenko
authors.forename: Tae-Yeon
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Eliot
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fried
mesh_terms: D004058:Diffusion; D057446:Hydrodynamics; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009038:Motion