Self-propelled particle in a nonconvex external potential: Persistent limit in one dimension

Abstract

Equilibrium mapping techniques for nonaligning self-propelled particles have made it possible to predict the density profile of an active ideal gas in a wide variety of external potentials. However, they fail when the self-propulsion is very persistent and the potential is nonconvex, which is precisely when the most uniquely active phenomena occur. Here, we show how to predict the density profile of a 1D active Ornstein-Uhlenbeck particle in an arbitrary external potential in the persistent limit and discuss the consequences of the potential's nonconvexity on the structure of the solution, including the central role of the potential's inflection points and the nonlocal dependence of the density profile on the potential.