Critical perturbation threshold for polar-liquid stability

Determine the critical size and density of a perturbing droplet required to quantify the stability of polar liquids in the three-dimensional active Potts model.

Background

The paper studies metastability by inserting counter-propagating or transversely propagating high-density droplets into homogeneous polar liquids of the three-dimensional active Potts model. Depending on propulsion strength and droplet orientation, the perturbation may dissolve, form a persistent slab or cylindrical structure, or destabilize and replace the original ordered phase.

The authors identify the critical size and density of an imposed droplet as a missing quantitative characterization of this stability landscape. Establishing this threshold would provide a systematic measure of the resistance of polar liquids to finite perturbations.