Trapping of active Brownian and run-and-tumble particles: a first-passage time approach

TL;DR

This paper employs a first-passage time approach to analytically study how active particles, such as active Brownian and run-and-tumble types, get trapped at boundaries, revealing differences in boundary behavior despite similar bulk dynamics.

Contribution

It provides exact calculations of angular and mean first-passage times for active particles and compares their boundary trapping behaviors, enhancing understanding of boundary effects in active matter.

Findings

Exact first-passage time distributions for active Brownian and run-and-tumble particles.

Theoretical predictions match Langevin simulations.

Active particles with different dynamics behave similarly in bulk but differently near boundaries.

Abstract

We use a first-passage time approach to study the statistics of the trapping times induced by persistent motion of active particles colliding with flat boundaries. The angular first-passage time distribution and mean first-passage time is calculated exactly for active Brownian and run-and-tumble particles and the results are compared. Theoretical predictions are in excellent agreement with Langevin simulations. Our results shed further light onto how active particles with different dynamics may be equivalent in the bulk, yet behave differently near boundaries or obstacles.