Jamming phase diagram for active deformable particles

Numerous experiments have highlighted the important roles of cell motility and shape deformation in controlling many biological processes, such as wound-healing, cancer progression, and tissue morphogenesis. Here, we implement the active, deformable particle model (ADPM) in two dimensions, in which explicitly deformable particles are modeled as polygons with small disks at the vertices whose locations are determined by a shape-energy function that includes particle compressibility, contractility, and curvature energies. We also add cell motility to the model by having a subset of vertices move in a specific direction for a given amount of time that is determined by the cell's rotational diffusion coefficient. Using ADPM, we determine whether collections of active deformable particles are jammed or not as a function of the packing fraction, cell speed, rotational diffusion coefficient, and deformability. These studies will provide key insights into structural and mechanical properties of active, jammed tissues.