Collective Motion in Active Materials: Model Experiments

TL;DR

This paper reviews how theoretical tools connect particle-scale dynamics to large-scale collective motion in active materials, using experiments with walking grains and colloidal rollers.

Contribution

It introduces a framework for understanding collective motion in active systems through model experiments and theoretical analysis.

Findings

Established links between particle dynamics and collective behavior.

Analyzed walking grains and colloidal rollers as model active systems.

Provided insights into large-scale physics from microscopic experiments.

Abstract

In these lecture notes from the Les Houches School, we discuss collective motion in model experiments of active systems. We specifically discuss walking grains and colloidal rollers experiments. In both cases, we focus on the theoretical tools one can use to relate the knowledge of the dynamics at the particle scale to the large scale physics.