Tracer Dynamics in Crowded Active-Particle Suspensions

TL;DR

This paper develops a theoretical framework to describe the motion of tracer particles in crowded active and passive particle systems, revealing regimes of super-diffusive and sub-diffusive behavior validated by simulations.

Contribution

It introduces a mode-coupling theory for active Brownian particles in dense environments, capturing memory effects and complex diffusion regimes.

Findings

Theory predicts activity-induced super-diffusion.

Density causes sub-diffusive motion.

Good agreement with Brownian dynamics simulations.

Abstract

We derive equations of motion for the mean-squared displacement (MSD) of an active Brownian particle (ABP) in a crowded environment modeled by a dense system of passive Brownian particles, and of a passive tracer particle in a dense active-Brownian particle system, using a projection-operator scheme. The interaction of the tracer particle with the dense host environment gives rise to strong memory effects. Evaluating these approximately in the framework of a recently developed mode-coupling theory for the glass transition in active Brownian particles (ABP-MCT), we discuss the various regimes of activity-induced super-diffusive motion and density-induced sub-diffusive motion. The predictions of the theory are shown to be in good agreement with results from an event-driven Brownian dynamics simulation scheme for the dynamics of two-dimensional active Brownian hard disks.