Spontaneous Rotation of a Symmetric Inclusion in Chiral Active Bath

Abstract

We study the dynamics of a circular passive inclusion, termed a torquer, in a bath of chiral active Brownian particles. Despite being geometrically symmetric and non-motile, the torquer exhibits persistent rotation due to spatially inhomogeneous torques arising from angularly biased collisions with active particles. This interaction-driven symmetry breaking does not rely on shape anisotropy or external forcing. Through simulations, we identify two distinct regimes of rotation: one dominated by density gradients at low chirality, and another by increased impact frequency at high chirality. Our results highlight how nonequilibrium interactions in chiral active media can induce motion in symmetric objects, offering a new perspective on symmetry breaking in active systems.