Spatial organisation of multiple species of active particles interacting with an interface

TL;DR

This paper explores how active particles at an interface organize themselves, showing that their interactions and activity levels can control surface properties and particle distribution.

Contribution

It introduces a model for multiple active particle species interacting with an interface, revealing diverse behaviors and potential for surface property manipulation.

Findings

Particles induce interface deformations affecting their movement.

Different particle species can cause clustering, anti-clustering, or mixing.

Adjusting activity levels enables selective dispersion and surface control.

Abstract

We investigate the steady-state organisation of active particles residing on an interface. Particle activity induces interface deformations, while the local shape of the interface guides particle movement. We consider multiple species of particles which can locally pull on the interface or push it. This coupled system exhibits a wide variety of behaviours, including clustering, anti-clustering, diffusion, mixing, demixing, and localisation. Our findings suggest that one can control surface properties by strategically adding or removing specific particle types. Furthermore, by adjusting particle activity levels, we can selectively disperse particle types, enabling precise manipulation of surface movement and geometry.