Phase behavior of active particle-loaded vesicles

Abstract

We investigate the phase behavior of flexible two-dimensional vesicles loaded with self-avoiding active particles. We construct structural phase diagrams as a function of system density, particle loading, and the degree of activity of the particles inside the vesicle. We identify a range of non-trivial structures reminiscent of those observed in systems of liquid crystals. We examine the stability of these phases with varying particle load and activity, finding that while activity often destabilizes the ordered structures by exciting their soft modes, it can also induce novel ordered configurations absent in the parent passive system.