Statistical Mechanics of Interacting Run-and-Tumble Bacteria

TL;DR

This paper models interacting run-and-tumble bacteria in one dimension, incorporating interactions and noise to study collective behaviors like self-trapping and domain formation, extending previous drift-diffusion analyses.

Contribution

It introduces a framework for analyzing collective phenomena in interacting run-and-tumble particles with noise, including self-trapping and domain formation, beyond previous one-particle models.

Findings

Analysis of domain formation via self-trapping.

Extension of drift-diffusion models to include interactions and noise.

Conditions for mapping onto detailed-balance systems.

Abstract

We consider self-propelled particles undergoing run-and-tumble dynamics (as exhibited by E. coli) in one dimension. Building on previous analyses at drift-diffusion level for the one-particle density, we add both interactions and noise, enabling discussion of domain formation by "self-trapping", and other collective phenomena. Mapping onto detailed-balance systems is possible in certain cases.