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Collective dynamics of densely confined active polar disks with self- and mutual alignment
by Weizhen Tang, Yating Zheng, Amir Shee, Guozheng Lin, Zhangang Han, Pawel Romanczuk, Cristián Huepe
Submission summary
| Authors (as registered SciPost users): | Amir Shee · Weizhen Tang · Yating Zheng |
| Submission information | |
|---|---|
| Preprint Link: | scipost_202501_00037v2 (pdf) |
| Data repository: | https://osf.io/rs4wt/ |
| Date accepted: | June 16, 2025 |
| Date submitted: | May 1, 2025, 2:04 p.m. |
| Submitted by: | Yating Zheng |
| Submitted to: | SciPost Physics |
| Ontological classification | |
|---|---|
| Academic field: | Physics |
| Specialties: |
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| Approaches: | Theoretical, Computational |
Abstract
We study the emerging collective states in a simple mechanical model of a dense group of self-propelled polar disks with off-centered rotation, confined within a circular arena. Each disk presents self-alignment towards the sum of contact forces acting on it, resulting from disk-substrate interactions, while also displaying mutual alignment with neighbors due to having its center of rotation located a distance R behind its centroid, so that central contact forces can also introduce torques. The effect of both alignment mechanisms produces a variety of collective states that combine high-frequency localized circular oscillations with low-frequency milling around the center of the arena, in fluid or solid regimes. We consider cases with small/large R values, isotropic/anisotropic disk-substrate damping, smooth/rough arena boundaries, different densities, and multiple systems sizes, showing that the emergent collective states that we identify are robust, generic, and potentially observable in real-world natural or artificial systems.
Author indications on fulfilling journal expectations
- Provide a novel and synergetic link between different research areas.
- Open a new pathway in an existing or a new research direction, with clear potential for multi-pronged follow-up work
- Detail a groundbreaking theoretical/experimental/computational discovery
- Present a breakthrough on a previously-identified and long-standing research stumbling block
Author comments upon resubmission
Thank you for reviewing and handling our submission ‘Collective dynamics of densely confined active polar disks with self- and mutual alignment’(manuscript ID: scipost 202501 00037v1).
We are resubmitting a revised version, following the reviewers' suggestions. We have highlighted our changes to the manuscript in red, and our responses below in blue.
We believe that our manuscript has greatly improved as a result of the reviewers’ feedback. All comments, questions, and criticisms have been addressed below. We thus respectfully request that our manuscript be accepted for publication in Scipost.
On behalf of all the authors, With regards,
Pawel Romanczuk and Cristián Huepe
Published as SciPost Phys. 19, 012 (2025)
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I have read the revised version of the manuscript and it has improved accordingly to the referees' requests.
For these reasons, I am inclined to recommend publication of the manuscript as is.
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