Perspective: Nonequilibrium glassy dynamics in dense systems of active particles

Abstract

Despite the diversity of materials designated as active matter, virtually all active systems undergo a form of dynamic arrest when crowding and activity compete, reminiscent of the dynamic arrest observed in colloidal and molecular fluids undergoing a glass transition. We present a short perspective on recent and ongoing efforts to understand how activity competes with other physical interactions in dense systems. We first review recent experimental work on active materials that uncovered both classic signatures of glassy dynamics and intriguing novel phenomena at large density. We introduce a minimal model of self-propelled particles where the competition between interparticle interactions, crowding, and self-propulsion can be studied in great detail. We discuss more complex models that include some additional, material-specific ingredients. We end with some general perspectives on dense active materials, suggesting directions for future research, in particular for theoretical work.