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Flocking at a distance in active granular matter

Author

Listed:
  • Nitin Kumar

    (Indian Institute of Science)

  • Harsh Soni

    (Indian Institute of Science
    TIFR Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research)

  • Sriram Ramaswamy

    (Indian Institute of Science
    TIFR Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research)

  • A. K. Sood

    (Indian Institute of Science)

Abstract

The self-organized motion of vast numbers of creatures in a single direction is a spectacular example of emergent order. Here, we recreate this phenomenon using actuated nonliving components. We report here that millimetre-sized tapered rods, rendered motile by contact with an underlying vibrated surface and interacting through a medium of spherical beads, undergo a phase transition to a state of spontaneous alignment of velocities and orientations above a threshold bead area fraction. Guided by a detailed simulation model, we construct an analytical theory of this flocking transition, with two ingredients: a moving rod drags beads; neighbouring rods reorient in the resulting flow like a weathercock in the wind. Theory and experiment agree on the structure of our phase diagram in the plane of rod and bead concentrations and power-law spatial correlations near the phase boundary. Our discovery suggests possible new mechanisms for the collective transport of particulate or cellular matter.

Suggested Citation

  • Nitin Kumar & Harsh Soni & Sriram Ramaswamy & A. K. Sood, 2014. "Flocking at a distance in active granular matter," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:5:y:2014:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms5688
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5688
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    Cited by:

    1. Pragya Arora & Souvik Sadhukhan & Saroj Kumar Nandi & Dapeng Bi & A. K. Sood & Rajesh Ganapathy, 2024. "A shape-driven reentrant jamming transition in confluent monolayers of synthetic cell-mimics," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. Chung Wing Chan & Daihui Wu & Kaiyao Qiao & Kin Long Fong & Zhiyu Yang & Yilong Han & Rui Zhang, 2024. "Chiral active particles are sensitive reporters to environmental geometry," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    3. Yangrui Chen & Jie Zhang, 2024. "Anomalous flocking in nonpolar granular Brownian vibrators," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-7, December.

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