Bistability in orbital trajectories of a chiral self-propelled particle interacting with an external field

In this paper, the dynamics of a self-propelled stochastic particle under the influence of an axisymmetric light field is experimentally studied. The particle under consideration has the main characteristic of carrying a light sensor in an eccentric location. For the chosen experimental conditions, the emerging trajectories are orbital, and, more interestingly, they suggest the existence of bistability. A mathematical model incorporating the key experimental components is introduced. By means of numerical simulations and theoretical analysis, it is found that, in addition to the orbiting behavior, the sensor location could produce trapped or diffusive behaviors. Furthermore, the study reveals that stochastic perturbation and the eccentric location of the sensor are responsible for inducing bistability in the orbital trajectories, supporting experimental observations.

Automated summary

This paper experimentally studies the dynamics of a self-propelled stochastic particle under the influence of an axisymmetric light field. The study reveals the existence of bistability in the orbital trajectories and introduces a mathematical model to explain the experimental observations. It is found that the location of the sensor can induce trapped or diffusive behaviors, contributing to the bistability in the orbital trajectories.