Phys.org  October 23, 2023 In theoretical models for active particles, it is often assumed that the particles’ swimming speed is always the same. However, this is not so for particles produced in many experiments. An international team of researchers (UK, Germany) used a combination of computer simulations and theoretical derivations, to study the behavior of systems consisting of many active particles whose speed depended on orientation. In the process they discovered a series of new effects. They found that systems consisting of many active particles could spontaneously form clusters—even when the individual particles do not attract one another. The particles […]