Aging and rejuvenation of active matter under topological constraints

TL;DR

This paper explores how active particles confined to a spherical surface exhibit unique aging and rejuvenation behaviors, revealing new non-equilibrium phenomena influenced by topology and activity.

Contribution

It introduces a novel study of active matter on curved surfaces, demonstrating aging and rejuvenation in a spherical spinning glass, linking passive glass physics with active systems.

Findings

Active rods form a spherical spinning glass at high density.

Periodic melting and revitrification show aging and rejuvenation effects.

Activity influences the transition to a more stable active glassy state.

Abstract

The coupling of active, self-motile particles to topological constraints can give rise to novel non-equilibrium dynamical patterns that lack any passive counterpart. Here we study the behavior of self-propelled rods confined to a compact spherical manifold by means of Brownian dynamics simulations. We establish the state diagram and find that short active rods at sufficiently high density exhibit a glass transition toward a disordered state characterized by persistent self-spinning motion. By periodically melting and revitrifying the spherical spinning glass, we observe clear signatures of time-dependent aging and rejuvenation physics. We quantify the crucial role of activity in these non-equilibrium processes, and rationalize the aging dynamics in terms of an absorbing-state transition toward a more stable active glassy state. Our results demonstrate both how concepts of passive glass phenomenology can carry over into the realm of active matter, and how topology can enrich the collective spatiotemporal dynamics in inherently non-equilibrium systems.