Physics (Internal)

Forces exerted and mediated by active matter

This event is part of the Biophysics/Condensed Matter Seminar Series.

Active matter is a class of non-equilibrium systems consisting of particles which consume energy and dissipate it to self propel. They encompass a wide range of physical systems ranging from biological, granular, and artificial colloidal systems. In recent years it was realized that the forces exerted by active particles on walls or objects can exhibit a host of anomalous phenomena. In the talk, I will review the progress achieved in recent years, including the lack of existence of an equation of state for the pressure exerted by active systems on walls and the existence of generic long-range forces mediated by active systems on objects placed inside them. Time permitting I will also discuss related work on the influence of disorder on active systems and escape problems.