Dynamics of bacterial flow: Emergence of spatiotemporal coherent structures

Abstract

We propose a simple model of self-propelled particles to show that coherent structures, such as jets and swirls, can arise from a plausible microscopic mechanisms: (i) the elongated shape of the self-propelled particles with (ii) the hardcore interactions among them. We demonstrate via computer simulation that these coherent structures, which emerge at sufficiently high densities of particles, have characteristics that are similar to those observed in recent experiments in bacteria baths.