Simple mathematical model for a pairing-induced motion of active and passive particles

Abstract

We propose a simple mathematical model that describes a pairing-induced motion of active and passive particles in a two-dimensional system, which is motivated by our previous paper [Ishikawa et al., Phys. Rev. E \textbf{106} (2022) 024604]. We assume the following features; the active and passive particles are connected with a linear spring, the active particle is driven in the direction of the current velocity, and the passive particle is repelled from the active particle. A straight motion, a circular motion, and a slalom motion were observed by numerical simulation. Theoretical analysis reproduces the bifurcation between the straight and circular motions depending on the magnitude of self-propulsion.