Active Self-Consistent Field Theory for Ornstein-Uhlenbeck Polymers
Abstract
We develop an active self-consistent field theory (ASCFT) for studying the steady-state behavior of active Ornstein--Uhlenbeck polymers. Starting from the stochastic equations of motion under the unified colored noise approximation, we derive an effective Hamiltonian that extends the classical polymer field theory to non-equilibrium systems. The resulting free energy functional incorporates both the Flory--Huggins interaction parameter χN and the persistence time τ of the active noise, enabling a unified description of thermodynamic and activity-driven effects. To solve the governing equations, we implement a stable implicit-explicit numerical scheme that handles the fourth-order term induced by activity. Our simulations reveal that increasing activity suppresses microphase separation, with the density modulation amplitude decaying as Δϕ∝ τ−1/2 for large τ. This scaling is independent of copolymer composition and is confirmed by an asymptotic analysis of the free energy functional in the large-τ limit. The ASCFT framework provides a new theoretical tool for predicting and designing the non-equilibrium morphologies of active polymer systems, bridging the gap between traditional self-consistent field theory and active matter physics.
Related
- Persistence, resetting, and first-passage times of an active Ornstein--Uhlenbeck particle
- Ornstein-Uhlenbeck Process Driven by Multiple Dichotomous Noises
- Stochastic thermodynamics and predictability of Ornstein-Uhlenbeck processes: an application to the Madden-Julian Oscillation
- Non-reciprocally interacting Ornstein-Uhlenbeck processes: Exceptional points, Anomalous relaxation, Pseudo-equilibrium and Boundary refrigeration
- Strain Waves Generate Compression and Trigger Buckling in Active Polymers
BibTeX
@misc{huang2026active,
title = {{Active Self-Consistent Field Theory for Ornstein-Uhlenbeck Polymers}},
author = {Yuliang Huang and Chun-Lai Ren and Qiyun Tang},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.28124},
eprint = {2609.28124},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.28124},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Active Self-Consistent Field Theory for Ornstein-Uhlenbeck Polymers
AU - Yuliang Huang
AU - Chun-Lai Ren
AU - Qiyun Tang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/23
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.28124
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.28124
AB - We develop an active self-consistent field theory (ASCFT) for studying the steady-state behavior of active Ornstein--Uhlenbeck polymers. Starting from the stochastic equations of motion under the unified colored noise approximation, we derive an effective Hamiltonian that extends the classical polymer field theory to non-equilibrium systems. The resulting free energy functional incorporates both the Flory--Huggins interaction parameter χN and the persistence time τ of the active noise, enabling a unified description of thermodynamic and activity-driven effects. To solve the governing equations, we implement a stable implicit-explicit numerical scheme that handles the fourth-order term induced by activity. Our simulations reveal that increasing activity suppresses microphase separation, with the density modulation amplitude decaying as Δϕ∝ τ^−1/2 for large τ. This scaling is independent of copolymer composition and is confirmed by an asymptotic analysis of the free energy functional in the large-τ limit. The ASCFT framework provides a new theoretical tool for predicting and designing the non-equilibrium morphologies of active polymer systems, bridging the gap between traditional self-consistent field theory and active matter physics.
ER -