Recent progress in non-equilibrium structure and dynamics of connected active agents.

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Soft Matter
• Statistical Mechanics

Background:

• Active agents convert energy into directed motion, creating non-equilibrium systems.
• Connected active agents with defined topologies are inspired by biological systems and polymer physics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and categorize active agents based on alignment mechanisms.
• To explore the non-equilibrium behaviors of connected active agents in various environments and topological structures.

Main Methods:

• Categorization of active agents into Active Brownian, Vicsek-type, and self-aligning agents.
• Analysis of agent behavior in 2D, 3D, interfacial, and confined systems.

Main Results:

• Interplay of activity, elasticity, noise, and conformation leads to novel behaviors in chain-like structures.
• Different topological structures and environments significantly influence collective dynamics.

Conclusions:

• Understanding fundamental physics governing individual chains is crucial.
• Potential applications in designing advanced metamaterials and swarm robotics.