Phase behaviour and dynamical features of a two-dimensional binary mixture of active/passive spherical particles

DR Rodriguez and F Alarcon and R Martinez and J Ramirez and C Valeriani, SOFT MATTER, 16, 1162-1169 (2020).

DOI: 10.1039/c9sm01803d

In this work we have characterized the phase behaviour and the dynamics of bidimensional mixtures of active and passive Brownian particles. We have evaluated state diagrams at several concentrations of the passive components finding that, while passive agents tend to hinder phase separation, active agents force crystal-like structures on passive colloids. In order to study how passive particles affect the dynamics of the mixture, we have computed the long-time diffusion coefficient of each species, concluding that active particles induce activity and super-diffusive behaviour on passive ones. Interestingly, at the density at which the system enters a MIPS state the active particles' diffusivity shows an inflection point and the passive particles' one goes through a maximum, due to the change in the dynamics of the active components, as shown in the displacement's probability distribution function.

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