A new state of matter has been discovered by physicists at the University of Leicester.
In recent years, active, self-propelled particles have gained growing interest among the scientific community. Examples of active particles and their systems are numerous and very diverse, ranging from bacterial films to flocks of birds or masses of humans. These systems can exhibit unusual behaviors that are difficult to understand or model.
To this end, large-scale models of active particles have been scrutinized by Leicester experts to understand and apply the basic principles underlying the dynamics of active particles in a scenario of an evacuation strategy for customers in crowded places. Unexpectedly, the ‘superparticles’ ground in a circular motion were tripped by Leicester’s physicists, who subsequently created the phenomenon as ‘swirlonic’.
The “vortex” – a new state of active matter – exhibits an astonishing behavior in which the quasi-particle groups move instead of accelerating, moving at a constant velocity, proportional to the force applied and in the same direction of the force. This action is apparently in violation of New Newton’s Law, which is currently being offered in secondary schools across the UK.
Professor Nikolai Brilliantov, who led the research at the University of Leicester, said: “We were absolutely amazed to see how these quasi-particles turn into active material, and we behave like individual superparticles with surprising properties, including not having to move acceleration when force is applied. , and joined together during collision to form vertebrae of a larger mass.
“These patterns have previously been observed for animals in different stages of evolution, ranging from plant-animal worms and insects to fish, but rather as single structures, not as a phase adjacent to other phases, such as gaseous and liquid phases of ‘normal’. matter. ”
Professor Ivan Tyukin, Director of Research in Applied Mathematics, said: “It is always exciting to consider deepening our understanding of new phenomena and their guiding physical principles. What we know so far is so much less than we know. The phenomenon of the “vortex” is part of the tip of the iceberg of hidden knowledge. This leaves us with the eternal question: ‘what do we not know yet’? ‘
The world of active particles has many practical applications, including in the latest areas of artificial intelligence, space data and robotics. Since one of the possible practical applications of active particles could be self-collection, experts from the University of Leicester agree that it is essential that physicists continually push for discoveries based on simulation work. This will ensure that materials, substances and groups work in real life in reliable, expected and predictable ways, without inevitable uncertainties.
Reference: “Swirlonic state of active matter” by Nikolai V. Brilliantov, Hajar Abutuqayqah, Ivan Yu Tyukin and Sergey A. Matveev, 8 October 2020, Scientific reports.
DOI: 10.1038 / s41598-020-73824-4