Nonequilibrium Glassy Dynamics of Self-Propelled Hard Disks

We analyze the collective dynamics of self-propelled particles in the large-density regime where passive particles undergo a kinetic arrest to an amorphous glassy state. We capture the competition between self-propulsion and crowding effects using a two-dimensional model of self-propelled hard disks, which we study using Monte Carlo simulations. Although the activity drives the system far from equilibrium, self-propelled particles undergo a kinetic arrest, which we characterize in detail and compare with its equilibrium counterpart. In particular, the critical density for dynamic arrest continuously shifts to larger densities with increasing activity, and the relaxation time is surprisingly well described by an algebraic divergence resulting from the emergence of highly collective dynamics. These results show that dense assemblies of active particles undergo a nonequilibrium glass transition that is profoundly affected by self-propulsion mechanisms.