Phase separation of chemokinetic active particles

Abstract

Motility-induced phase separation (MIPS) is a well-studied nonequilibrium collective phenomenon observed in active particles. Recently, there has been growing interest in how coupling the self-propulsion of active particles to chemical degrees of freedom affects MIPS. Although the effects of chemotaxis on MIPS have been extensively studied, little is known about how chemokinesis affects MIPS. In this study, we demonstrate that various patterns can be induced when active particles consume chemicals and exhibit chemokinesis, where higher chemical concentrations enhance self-propulsion without causing alignment with the chemical gradient. We discover that MIPS is intensified if chemical consumption is proportional to particle density (as in the basal metabolic regime), but it is suppressed if chemical consumption is closely tied to particle motion (as in the active metabolic regime). While the former produces large-scale phase separation via coarsening, the latter suppresses the coarsening process, leading to microphase separation and oscillating patterns. We also derive a hydrodynamic theory that describes these findings.