Programmable matter: ’We can paint with the particles’

Researchers find new physical effects in systems consisting of particles with an orientation-dependent propulsion speed. In the particles examined, the shape of the cluster depends on how strongly the orientation of the particles influences their propulsion speed. Copyright: S. Bröker et al. Physical Review Letters Phys. Rev. Lett. Investigating systems consisting of self-propelled particles - so-called active particles - is a rapidly growing area of research.