Polymer Systems with Correlated Activity: Stars Versus Linear Chains

Using molecular dynamics simulations, we explore the impact of correlated monomer activity and star topology on the structure and dynamics of active polymers. Unlike uncorrelated active Brownian particle (ABP) stars, correlated activity induces a rather steep stretching of the star polymer at intermediate activity levels. This stretching is characterized by transitions between distinct, metastable states defined by the coordinated movement of the arms, leading to novel collective dynamics. The behavior is consistent with experimental observations of active oligomers, highlighting the critical role of activity correlations for the understanding and modeling of active polymers.