Phase separation, morphology, and metastability in the three-dimensional active Potts model
Abstract
We study the three-dimensional active Potts model (APM) on a cubic lattice with 2, 4, and 6 orientational states. The steady-state phase diagrams exhibit low-density gaseous, high-density polar liquid, and liquid--gas coexistence phases, with the phase behavior controlled by density, temperature, and propulsion speed and retaining the main features of the previously studied two-dimensional APM. At weak propulsion, the dense phase forms a slab perpendicular to its direction of motion. With increasing propulsion speed, this morphology persists for the 2-state model, whereas the dense phases for 4 and 6 states reorient and propagate along their longitudinal direction. For the 6-state model, the reoriented dense phase further develops a cylindrical morphology. We also examine the stability of polar liquids against artificially introduced droplets using microscopic simulations and coarse-grained hydrodynamic equations. At high propulsion speeds, counter-propagating droplets can partially modify the initial polar state, while transverse droplets can completely alter it, demonstrating the metastable nature of polar liquids in the three-dimensional active Potts model.
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BibTeX
@misc{dutta2026phase,
title = {{Phase separation, morphology, and metastability in the three-dimensional active Potts model}},
author = {Aditya Kumar Dutta and Raja Paul},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.37436},
eprint = {2609.37436},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.37436},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Phase separation, morphology, and metastability in the three-dimensional active Potts model
AU - Aditya Kumar Dutta
AU - Raja Paul
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/29
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.37436
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.37436
AB - We study the three-dimensional active Potts model (APM) on a cubic lattice with 2, 4, and 6 orientational states. The steady-state phase diagrams exhibit low-density gaseous, high-density polar liquid, and liquid--gas coexistence phases, with the phase behavior controlled by density, temperature, and propulsion speed and retaining the main features of the previously studied two-dimensional APM. At weak propulsion, the dense phase forms a slab perpendicular to its direction of motion. With increasing propulsion speed, this morphology persists for the 2-state model, whereas the dense phases for 4 and 6 states reorient and propagate along their longitudinal direction. For the 6-state model, the reoriented dense phase further develops a cylindrical morphology. We also examine the stability of polar liquids against artificially introduced droplets using microscopic simulations and coarse-grained hydrodynamic equations. At high propulsion speeds, counter-propagating droplets can partially modify the initial polar state, while transverse droplets can completely alter it, demonstrating the metastable nature of polar liquids in the three-dimensional active Potts model.
ER -