Dynamical patterns in active-passive particle mixtures with non-reciprocal interactions: Exact hydrodynamic analysis

Abstract

The formation of dynamical patterns is one of the most striking features of non-equilibrium physical systems. Recent work has shown that such patterns arise generically from forces that violate Newton's third law, known as non-reciprocal interactions. These non-equilibrium phenomena are challenging for modern theories. Here, we introduce a model mixture of active (self-propelled) and passive (diffusive) particles with non-reciprocal effective interactions, which is amenable to exact mathematical analysis. We exploit state-of-the-art methods to derive exact hydrodynamic equations for the particle densities. We study the resulting collective behavior, including the linear stability of homogeneous states and phase coexistence in large systems. This reveals a novel phase diagram with the spinodal associated with active phase separation protruding through the associated binodal, heralding the emergence of dynamical steady states. We analyze these states in the thermodynamic limit of large system size, showing, for example, that sharp interfaces may travel at finite velocities, but traveling phase-separated states are forbidden. The model's mathematical tractability enables precise new conclusions beyond those available by numerical simulation of particle models or field theories.