Rotating cluster formations emerge in an ensemble of active particles

Abstract

Rotating clusters or vortices are formations of agents that rotate around a common center. These patterns may be found in very different contexts: from swirling fish to surveillance drones. Here, we propose a minimal model for self-propelled chiral particles with inertia, which shows different types of vortices. We consider an attractive interaction for short distances on top of the repulsive interaction that accounts for volume exclusion. We study cluster formation and we find that the cluster size and clustering coefficient increase with the packing of particles. Finally, we classify three new types of vortices: encapsulated, periodic and chaotic. These clusters may coexist and their proportion depends on the density of the ensemble. The results may be interesting to understand some patterns found in nature and to design agents that automatically arrange themselves in a desired formation while exchanging only relative information.