Kavli Affiliate: Ariel Amir
| First 5 Authors: Tabea Heckenthaler, Tobias Holder, Ariel Amir, Ofer Feinerman, Ehud Fonio
| Summary:
Paratrechina longicornis ants are known for their ability to cooperatively
transport large food items. Previous studies have focused on the behavioral
rules of individual ants and explained the efficient coordination using the
coupled-carrier model. In contrast to this microscopic description, we instead
treat the transported object as a single self-propelled particle characterized
by its velocity magnitude and angle. We experimentally observe P. longicornis
ants cooperatively transporting loads of varying radii. By analyzing the
statistical features of the load’s movement, we show that its salient
properties are well captured by a set of Langevin equations describing a
self-propelled particle. We relate the parameters of our macroscopic model to
microscopic properties of the system. While the autocorrelation time of the
velocity direction increases with group size, the autocorrelation time of the
speed has a maximum at an intermediate group size. This corresponds to the
critical slowdown close to the phase transition identified in the
coupled-carrier model. Our findings illustrate that a self-propelled particle
model can effectively characterize a system of interacting individuals.
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