Vicsek Model — Spontaneous Flocking

Active matter | Phase transition | Collective motion

Controls

Order Parameter |⟨v⟩|

0.00
1 = perfect alignment, 0 = random

Phase History

About

The Vicsek model (1995) is the minimal flocking model: each particle moves at fixed speed, aligning its direction with neighbors within radius r, plus noise η. Despite simplicity, it shows a genuine phase transition from disorder to ordered collective motion — an active matter universality class distinct from equilibrium systems.