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Active brownian particles and run-and-tumble particles separate inside a maze

Khatami, M ; Sharif University of Technology | 2016

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  1. Type of Document: Article
  2. DOI: 10.1038/srep37670
  3. Publisher: Nature Publishing Group , 2016
  4. Abstract:
  5. A diverse range of natural and artificial self-propelled particles are known and are used nowadays. Among them, active Brownian particles (ABPs) and run-and-tumble particles (RTPs) are two important classes. We numerically study non-interacting ABPs and RTPs strongly confined to different maze geometries in two dimensions. We demonstrate that by means of geometrical confinement alone, ABPs are separable from RTPs. By investigating Matryoshka-like mazes with nested shells, we show that a circular maze has the best filtration efficiency. Results on the mean first-passage time reveal that ABPs escape faster from the center of the maze, while RTPs reach the center from the rim more easily. According to our simulations and a rate theory, which we developed, ABPs in steady state accumulate in the outermost region of the Matryoshka-like mazes, while RTPs occupy all locations within the maze with nearly equal probability. These results suggest a novel technique for separating different types of self-propelled particles by designing appropriate confining geometries without using chemical or biological agents
  6. Keywords:
  7. Filtration ; Geometry ; Probability ; Steady state
  8. Source: Scientific Reports ; Volume 6 , 2016 ; 20452322 (ISSN)
  9. URL: http://www.nature.com/articles/srep37670