Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 8, 2025

Liquid-cell Transmission Electron Microscopy for Tracking Self-assembly of Nanoparticles
Published on: October 16, 2017
Pair-distribution function of active Brownian spheres in three spatial dimensions: simulation results and analytical
Stephan Bröker1, Michael Te Vrugt1,2, Julian Jeggle1
1Institute of Theoretical Physics, Center for Soft Nanoscience, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany. raphael.wittkowski@uni-muenster.de.
Abstract:
The pair-distribution function, which provides information about correlations in a system of interacting particles, is one of the key objects of theoretical soft matter physics. In particular, it allows for microscopic insights into the phase behavior of active particles. While this function is by now well studied for two-dimensional active matter systems, the more complex and more realistic case of three-dimensional systems is not well understood by now. In this work, we analyze the full pair-distribution function of spherical active Brownian particles interacting via a Weeks-Chandler-Andersen potential in three spatial dimensions using Brownian dynamics simulations. Besides extracting the structure of the pair-distribution function from the simulations, we obtain an analytical representation for this function, parametrized by activity and concentration, which takes into account the symmetries of a homogeneous stationary state. Our results are useful as input to quantitative models of active Brownian particles and advance our understanding of the microstructure in dense active fluids.
Related Concept Videos
Distribution of Molecular Speeds
Atomic Orbitals
Maxwell-Boltzmann Distribution: Problem Solving
This distribution function f(v) is defined by saying that the expected number N (v1,v2) of particles with speeds between v1 and v2 is given by
First Law: Particles in Two-dimensional Equilibrium
Newton's first law tells us about...
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Population Distribution
Molecular Orbital Theory I

