Effective Temperature and Spontaneous Collective Motion of Active Matter
Ms. Shenshen Wang
Department of Physics and Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, UCSD
ABSTRACT
Spontaneous directed motion, a hallmark of cell biology, is unusual in
classical statistical physics. Here we study, using both numerical and
analytical methods, organized motion in models of the cytoskeleton in
which constituents are driven by energy-consuming motors. Although systems
driven by small-step motors are described by an effective temperature and
are thus quiescent, at higher order in step size, both homogeneous and
inhomogeneous, flowing and oscillating behavior emerges. Motors that
respond with a negative susceptibility to imposed forces lead to an
apparent negative temperature system in which beautiful structures form
resembling the asters seen in cell division.
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