Phase Transitions and Self-Assembly in Active Matter

Explore the fascinating world of active matter in this 47-minute lecture by Ignacio Pagonabarraga at the Erwin Schrödinger International Institute for Mathematics and Physics. Delve into the collective behavior of living systems like flocks of birds, schools of fish, and bacterial colonies, as well as artificial systems such as nanorobots. Examine the fundamental principles underlying the emergence and self-assembly of intrinsically out-of-equilibrium systems. Investigate simple statistical models to address key questions about the interactions and universal principles governing active matter. Analyze the implications of self-propulsion on structure formation in suspensions of model self-propelled particles. Discuss the potential of schematic models to tackle open questions, including the connection between effective phase diagrams, pressure, and equilibrium concepts. Explore the role of the medium in generating correlations among active particles and compare different mechanisms leading to spontaneous self-organization in active suspensions. Gain insights into the specific ingredients and general features determining the emergent properties of active matter through this comprehensive examination of phase transitions and self-assembly in these dynamic systems.