Emergent dynamical phases and collective motion in termites.

Area of Science:

• Collective behavior
• Active matter physics
• Insect social dynamics

Background:

• Termites exhibit distinct movement patterns: wandering, clustering, and milling.
• These patterns are typically studied in isolation, lacking quantitative analysis of their interdependencies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the hypothesis that termite movement patterns are interdependent phenomena.
• To quantitatively describe and characterize the phases of disorder, clustering, and milling in termite groups.
• To understand the emergence of these patterns from self-organized interactions in active matter.

Main Methods:

• Observation and quantitative description of termite groups confined in arenas.
• Analysis of spatial patterns including disorder, clustering, and milling.
• Characterization of phase transitions between different movement patterns.

Main Results:

• Identified and quantitatively described three distinct spatial patterns: disorder, clustering, and milling.
• Demonstrated that these patterns can be viewed as phases within a continuum.
• Provided evidence for the interdependence of these patterns arising from self-organization and collisions.

Conclusions:

• Termite movement patterns are not independent but form a continuum driven by self-organization and inter-individual interactions.
• Understanding these patterns offers insights into the physics of active matter, particularly concerning collision-induced phase separation.
• This research refines the comprehension of collective motion and emergent behaviors in social insects.