We study numerically the phase behavior of self-propelled elliptical particles interacting through the “hard” repulsive Gay-Berne potential at infinite Péclet number. Changing a single parameter, the aspect ratio, allows us to continuously go from discoid active Brownian particles to elongated polar rods. Discoids show phase separation, which changes to a cluster state of polar domains, which then form polar bands as the aspect ratio is increased. From the simulations, we identify and extract the two effective parameters entering the mean-field description: the force imbalance coefficient and the effective coupling to the local polarization. These two coefficients are sufficient to obtain a complete and consistent picture, unifying the paradigms of scalar and polar active matter.

• Received 13 October 2019
• Accepted 21 January 2020

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.101.022602