Non-equilibrium pathways between cluster morphologies in active phase separation: necking, rupture and cavitation
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2025
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| _version_ | 1866908741428838400 |
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| author | Yao, Liheng Cates, Michael E. Jack, Robert L. |
| author_facet | Yao, Liheng Cates, Michael E. Jack, Robert L. |
| contents | We investigate the dynamical pathways of a geometric phase transition in a two-dimensional active lattice gas undergoing motility-induced phase separation. The transition is between metastable morphologies of the liquid cluster: a system-spanning "slab" and a compact "droplet". We generate trajectories of this transition in both directions using forward flux sampling. We find that the droplet-to-slab transition always follows a similar mechanism to its equilibrium counterpart, but the reverse (slab-to-droplet) transition depends on rare non-equilibrium fluctuations. At low Peclet numbers the equilibrium and non-equilibrium pathways compete, while at high Peclet numbers the equilibrium pathway is entirely suppressed, and the only allowed mechanism involves a large vapour bubble. We discuss the implications of these findings for active matter systems more generally. |
| format | Preprint |
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arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2512_24781 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Non-equilibrium pathways between cluster morphologies in active phase separation: necking, rupture and cavitation Yao, Liheng Cates, Michael E. Jack, Robert L. Soft Condensed Matter Statistical Mechanics We investigate the dynamical pathways of a geometric phase transition in a two-dimensional active lattice gas undergoing motility-induced phase separation. The transition is between metastable morphologies of the liquid cluster: a system-spanning "slab" and a compact "droplet". We generate trajectories of this transition in both directions using forward flux sampling. We find that the droplet-to-slab transition always follows a similar mechanism to its equilibrium counterpart, but the reverse (slab-to-droplet) transition depends on rare non-equilibrium fluctuations. At low Peclet numbers the equilibrium and non-equilibrium pathways compete, while at high Peclet numbers the equilibrium pathway is entirely suppressed, and the only allowed mechanism involves a large vapour bubble. We discuss the implications of these findings for active matter systems more generally. |
| title | Non-equilibrium pathways between cluster morphologies in active phase separation: necking, rupture and cavitation |
| topic | Soft Condensed Matter Statistical Mechanics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.24781 |