Research Overview

Research Overview
I am interested in the collective behavior of self propelled colloids.
Self propelled particles are fascinating examples of how non-equilibrium behavior can be used to perform useful tasks. In biology, self propelled particles exist at all length scales, from animals like starlings whose fancy flights inspire awe, to motile bacteria like E. coli which tend to inspire significantly less noble emotions, to myosin proteins that allow starlings to use their muscles to fly in the first place.
Synthetic versions of these self propelled particles are easier to manipulate than their biological counterparts and are used both as a model system for studying non-equilibrium processes and as practical micromachines that can do useful work.
I use computer simulations to explore the possible applications of these self-propelled particles.

Publications

	Micro-phase separation in two dimensional suspensions of self-propelled spheres and dumbbells C Tung, J Harder, C Valeriani, A Cacciuto Soft Matter 12 (2), 555-561
	The role of particle shape in active depletion J Harder, SA Mallory, C Tung, C Valeriani, A Cacciuto The Journal of chemical physics 141 (19), 194901
	Activity-induced collapse and reexpansion of rigid polymers J Harder, C Valeriani, A Cacciuto Physical Review E 90 (6), 062312