Emergent cometlike swarming of optically driven thermally active colloids
We propose a simple system of optically driven colloids that convert light into heat and move in response to self-generated and collectively generated thermal gradients. We show that the system exhibits self-organization into a moving cometlike swarm and characterize the structure and response of th...
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| Published in | Physical review letters Vol. 112; no. 6; p. 068302 |
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| Main Authors | , |
| Format | Journal Article |
| Language | English |
| Published |
United States
14.02.2014
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| Online Access | Get more information |
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| Summary: | We propose a simple system of optically driven colloids that convert light into heat and move in response to self-generated and collectively generated thermal gradients. We show that the system exhibits self-organization into a moving cometlike swarm and characterize the structure and response of the swarm to a light-intensity-dependent external tuning parameter. We observe many interesting features in this nonequilibrium system including circulation and evaporation, intensity-dependent shape, density and temperature fluctuations, and ejection of hot colloids from the swarm tip. |
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| ISSN: | 1079-7114 |
| DOI: | 10.1103/PhysRevLett.112.068302 |