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  • Open Access

Patterns of active dipolar particles in external magnetic fields

Vitali Telezki and Stefan Klumpp*

  • University of Göttingen, Institute for the Dynamics of Complex Systems, Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany

  • *Contact author: stefan.klumpp@phys.uni-goettingen.de
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Phys. Rev. E 112, 065422 – Published 26 December, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/836q-7vng

Abstract

Active particles with a (magnetic) dipole moment are of interest for steering self-propelled motion but also result in novel collective effects due to their dipole-dipole interaction. Here systems of active dipolar particles are studied with Brownian dynamics simulations to systematically characterize the different patterns they form, specifically in the presence of an external (magnetic) field. The combination of three types of order—clustering, orientational alignment, and chain formation—is used to classify the patterns observed in these systems. In the presence of an external field, oriented chains and bands are found to be dominant. These structures show some similarities with columnar cluster seen in (passive) ferrofluids and display columnar spacing and number of lanes per cluster that both decrease with increasing field strength.

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Phys. Rev. E 112, 065422– Published 26 December, 2025
  • Received 11 September 2025
  • Accepted 12 December 2025
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