Lane formation and aggregation spots in a model of ants

Abstract: We investigate an interacting particle model to simulate a foraging colony of ants, where each ant is represented as an active Brownian particle. The interactions among ants are mediated through chemotaxis, aligning their orientations with the upward gradient of the pheromone field. Unlike conventional models, our study introduces a parameter that enables the reproduction of two distinctive behaviors: the well-known Keller--Segel aggregation into spots and the formation of traveling clusters, without relying on external constraints such as food sources or nests. We consider the associated mean-field limit partial differential equation (PDE) of this system and establish the analytical and numerical foundations for understanding these particle behaviors. Remarkably, the mean-field PDE not only supports aggregation spots and lane formation but also unveils a bistable region where these two behaviors compete. The patterns associated with these phenomena are elucidated by the shape of the growing eigenfunctions derived from linear stability analysis. This study not only contributes to our understanding of complex ant colony dynamics but also introduces a novel parameter-dependent perspective on pattern formation in collective systems.