Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 23, 2026

An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids
Published on: December 4, 2017
Wave-like statistics from classical active particles with internal degrees of freedom
1University of Oxford, Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
Wave-like spatial statistics in walking-droplet systems are often associated with wave-mediated interactions and wave-memory effects. Here we explore how similar statistical structure can arise from the low-dimensional nonlinear dynamics of an inertial active particle with internal degrees of freedom. In this framework, steady propulsion corresponds to internal-state fixed points whose spiral or transiently chaotic relaxation organizes oscillatory ensemble densities. Local perturbations then generate wave-like statistics in both open and closed geometries, suggesting that wave-like ensemble behavior may emerge more generally from internal-state attractor dynamics in inertial active matter.
Related Concept Videos
The de Broglie Wavelength
Equations of Wave Motion
Velocity and Acceleration of a Wave
The velocity of the particles can be obtained by taking the partial derivative of the position equation with respect to time. We can...
First Law: Particles in Two-dimensional Equilibrium
Newton's first law tells us about the...
Equilibrium Conditions for a Particle
To understand the concept of equilibrium, let us first consider the forces acting on an object. When different forces act on an object, they can...
Wave Parameters

