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We present a microscopic theory for the nonequilibrium interfacial tension γ₆₋ of the free interface between gas and liquid phases of active Brownian particles. The underlying square gradient treatment and the splitting of the force balance in flow and structural contributions is general and applies to inhomogeneous nonequilibrium steady states. We find γ₆₋≥0, which opposes claims by Bialké et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 098301 (2015) PRLTAO0031-900710. 1103/PhysRevLett. 115. 098301 and delivers the theoretical justification for the widely observed interfacial stability in active Brownian dynamics many-body simulations.
Hermann et al. (Mon,) studied this question.