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Updated: Sep 16, 2026

A Micropatterning Assay for Measuring Cell Chirality
Published on: March 11, 2022
Emergent rotation of passive clusters in a chiral active bath
Divya Kushwaha1, Abhra Puitandy1, Shradha Mishra1
1Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi 221005, India.
Abstract:
We investigate the dynamics of passive particles immersed in a bath of chiral active particles, focusing on the emergence of collective rotational motion. Using numerical simulations, we show that passive particles aggregate into clusters that can exhibit persistent rotation within a well-defined regime of size ratio and active particle packing fraction. This rotational state is characterized by the coexistence of internal structural order, enhanced shape fluctuations, and a coherent net torque generated by the surrounding active bath. Outside this regime, the dynamics remain predominantly diffusive, highlighting that sustained rotation is not ubiquitous but arises from a delicate interplay between geometry, activity, and chirality. Furthermore, we demonstrate that chirality heterogeneity disrupts rotational coherence, while a uniform chiral bath promotes strongly superdiffusive angular dynamics. These results provide new insights into the role of chirality and collective interactions in shaping the emergent behavior of active-passive mixtures.
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