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Self-propelled camphor boats exhibit avalanche dynamics. External periodic forcing can entrain these active particles, with optimal entrainment occurring near the system's natural preferred time scale.

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Area of Science:

  • Physics of active matter
  • Non-equilibrium statistical mechanics
  • Complex systems dynamics

Background:

  • Self-propelled agents, like camphor boats, display emergent collective behaviors.
  • Autonomous ensembles exhibit stochastic fluctuations leading to bursts of activity, termed avalanche dynamics.
  • Previous studies have observed similar dynamics in related systems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the entrainment of self-propelled camphor boat ensembles using external periodic forcing.
  • To identify the relationship between external forcing frequency and the quality of system entrainment.
  • To explore the underlying deterministic components within the apparent stochastic dynamics of active particle ensembles.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing an ensemble of camphor-infused paper disks as self-propelled agents on water.
  • Applying periodic air perturbations as external forcing to entrain the ensemble.
  • Performing Fourier analysis on the average speed of the autonomous ensemble to determine its characteristic time scale.

Main Results:

  • The autonomous ensemble exhibits bursts of activity driven by stochastic fluctuations.
  • Fourier analysis revealed a unimodal spectrum for the average speed, indicating a preferred time scale.
  • External periodic forcing successfully entrained the ensemble, replacing stochastic triggers.
  • An optimal forcing frequency, near the natural preferred time scale, maximized entrainment quality.

Conclusions:

  • The apparent aperiodic bursts in autonomous camphor boat ensembles possess an underlying deterministic component.
  • External periodic forcing can effectively control and synchronize active particle systems.
  • The optimal forcing frequency is linked to the intrinsic dynamics of the active matter system.