2009/06/19 by Nicholas A. Mecholsky, Edward Ott, Thomas M. Antonsen +1 · 32 citations
Computer Science · Medicine · Physics and Astronomy · Social Sciences · #Art #Artificial intelligence #Biology #Computer science #Distributed Control Multi-Agent Systems #Ecology #Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation #Flocking (texture) #Geography #Mathematical and Theoretical Epidemiology and Ecology Models #Obstacle #Obstacle avoidance #Predation #Predator #Predator avoidance #nlin.AO #nlin.CD
paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.physd.2010.02.007
published in Physica D Nonlinear Phenomena 239(12), 988-996 (Elsevier BV) · 24 pages, 9 figures
arxiv created 2009/06/19 · openalex publication_date 2010/02/15 · arxiv updated 2010/04/26 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
The modeling and investigation of the dynamics and configurations of animal groups is a subject of growing attention. In this paper, we present a continuum model of flocking and use it to investigate the reaction of a flock to an obstacle or an attacking predator. We show that the flock response is in the form of density disturbances that resemble Mach cones whose configuration is determined by the anisotropic propagation of waves through the flock. We analytically and numerically test relations that predict the Mach wedge angles, disturbance heights, and wake widths. We find that these expressions are insensitive to many of the parameters of the model.