Nonequilibrium phase transitions in coordinated biological motion: Critical slowing down and switching time |
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| Institution: | 1. Condensed Matter Science and Technology Institute, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150080, China;2. Department of Physics, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China;3. School of Materials and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China;4. Laboratory of Sono- and Photo- Theranostic Technologies, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150080, China;5. Department of Mathematics and Materials Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, 16802, USA;1. School of Physics and Materials Science, Anhui University, Hefei, 230039, People’s Republic of China;2. Department of Physics, Anqing Normal University, Anqing, 246011, People’s Republic of China |
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| Abstract: | In new experiments on coordinated biological motion we measure relaxation times and switching times as the system evolves from one coordinated state to another at a critical control parameter value. Deviations from the coordinated state are induced by mechanical perturbations and relative phase is used as an order parameter to monitor the dynamics of the collective state. Clear evidence for critical slowing down, a key feature of nonequilibrium phase transitions, is found. The mean and distribution of switching times closely match predictions from a stochastic dynamic theory. Together with earlier results on critical fluctuations these findings strongly favor an interpretation of coordinative change in biological systems as a nonequilibrium phase transition. |
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