Effective temperature concept evaluated in an active colloid mixture

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Abstract
Significance: In the long-standing debate on whether the insights of statistical thermodynamics could apply to nonequilibrium systems, a key unsolved problem is whether it is useful to postulate an emergent effective temperature, different from the thermal temperature. Here, we introduce a two-component system of driven Janus colloids such that collisions induced by external energy sources play the role of temperature. We find that this nonequilibrium system quantitatively behaves as if at equilibrium, with collisions caused by differential rhythmic motion between the two components acting as a strict analog to thermal motion. We demonstrate that the effective temperature can serve as a common control parameter for both kinetics and phase behavior.
Funding Information
  • Institute for Basic Science (IBS-R020-D1)
  • U.S. Department of Energy (DE-FG02-07ER46471)
  • National Science Foundation (DMR-1121262)
  • National Science Foundation (DMR-1121262)
  • National Science Foundation (DMR-1610796)
  • National Science Foundation (DMR-1610796)
  • National Science Foundation (CBET-0853737)
  • National Science Foundation (CBET-0853737)

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