ESPCI web site
Statistical Mechanics of Self-Propelled Particles
Active matter systems consist of particles that are capable of self-propulsion. I will introduce one active matter model, the active Ornstein-Uhlenbeck model, and present two recent studies that challenge physical intuition. First, I will show that increasing departure from equilibrium due to persistent self-propulsion can both enhance or depress glassy dynamics. Second, I will present a novel approach to calculate linear response functions for active Ornstein-Uhlenbeck systems. I will use this approach to evaluate an effective temperature defined through the Einstein relation between the self-diffusion and mobility coefficients. I will show that the dependence of this temperature on the persistence of the self-propulsion does not correlate with that of the conventionally defined entropy production.