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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2026
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.24232 |
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| _version_ | 1866911728124559360 |
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| author | Fava, Giuseppe Ginelli, Francesco Mahault, Benoît |
| author_facet | Fava, Giuseppe Ginelli, Francesco Mahault, Benoît |
| contents | We investigate photo-responsive structure formation in a minimal model of dry active nematics. Combining microscopic simulations with the analysis of the corresponding hydrodynamic theory, we show that the system generically self-assembles into a dense, nematically ordered ring at the boundary of compact illumination patterns. Remarkably, this boundary structure gives rise to a disordered core whose density is self-selected and independent of the global particle density. Our analysis reveals that these protected states emerge from a generic interplay between local nematic alignment and curvature-driven active currents. These results identify a robust route to boundary-induced structure formation in active matter and provide experimentally testable predictions. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_24232 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Density-protected states in active matter under virtual confinement Fava, Giuseppe Ginelli, Francesco Mahault, Benoît Soft Condensed Matter We investigate photo-responsive structure formation in a minimal model of dry active nematics. Combining microscopic simulations with the analysis of the corresponding hydrodynamic theory, we show that the system generically self-assembles into a dense, nematically ordered ring at the boundary of compact illumination patterns. Remarkably, this boundary structure gives rise to a disordered core whose density is self-selected and independent of the global particle density. Our analysis reveals that these protected states emerge from a generic interplay between local nematic alignment and curvature-driven active currents. These results identify a robust route to boundary-induced structure formation in active matter and provide experimentally testable predictions. |
| title | Density-protected states in active matter under virtual confinement |
| topic | Soft Condensed Matter |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.24232 |