From flocking to jamming in collective cell dynamics: a Vicsek-like model including contact forces

TL;DR

This paper introduces an agent-based model combining Vicsek-like alignment, contact forces, and other interactions to study collective cell dynamics, capturing phase transitions and jamming phenomena.

Contribution

It develops a novel, well-posed Vicsek-like model with contact forces and feedback mechanisms, validated through numerical experiments.

Findings

Model reproduces flocking and jamming behaviors.

Captures phase transition between order and disorder.

Provides a framework for understanding tissue flows.

Abstract

The goal of the present work is to propose an agent-based model that originally combines classical Vicsek-like polarity alignments and contact forces, as implemented in the framework developed by Maury and Venel in [Maury, Venel, 2011]. The description additionally incorporates velocity feedback on polarity and soft attraction-repulsion interactions. After carefully studying the well posedness of the model, we introduce a suitable discretization and perform an extensive range of numerical experiments to assess the impact of different modeling ingredients. The dynamical system is capable of recovering the order-disorder phase transition of the flock, as well as the jamming effect in high density regimes. As such, the developed framework can be seen as a promising theoretical tool that could contribute to improving the understanding of complex collective cell dynamics and emerging tissue flows.