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We outline how principal component analysis can be applied to particle configuration data to detect a variety of phase transitions in off-lattice systems, both in and out of equilibrium. Specifically, we discuss its application to study (1) the nonequilibrium random organization (RandOrg) model that exhibits a phase transition from quiescent to steady-state behavior as a function of density, (2) orientationally and positionally driven equilibrium phase transitions for hard ellipses, and (3) a compositionally driven demixing transition in the non-additive binary Widom-Rowlinson mixture.
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Tuning nonequilibrium phase transitions with inertia
In striking contrast to equilibrium systems, inertia can profoundly alter the structure of active systems. Here, we demonstrate that driven systems can exhibit effective equilibrium-like states with increasing particle inertia, despite rigorously violating the fluctuation–dissipation theorem. Increasing inertia progressively eliminates motility-induced phase separation and restores equilibrium crystallization for active Brownian spheres. This effect appears to be general for a wide class of active systems, including those driven by deterministic time-dependent external fields, whose nonequilibrium patterns ultimately disappear with increasing inertia. The path to this effective equilibrium limit can be complex, with finite inertia sometimes acting to accentuate nonequilibrium transitions. The restoration of near equilibrium statistics can be understood through the conversion of active momentum sources to passive-like stresses. Unlike truly equilibrium systems, the effective temperature is now density dependent, the only remnant of the nonequilibrium dynamics. This density-dependent temperature can in principle introduce departures from equilibrium expectations, particularly in response to strong gradients. Our results provide additional insight into the effective temperature ansatz while revealing a mechanism to tune nonequilibrium phase transitions.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1734030
- PAR ID:
- 10440220
- Publisher / Repository:
- American Institute of Physics
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- The Journal of Chemical Physics
- Volume:
- 158
- Issue:
- 7
- ISSN:
- 0021-9606
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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