Topotaxis of Active Particles

Recent biophysical experiments have shown that the amoeba Dictyostelium Discoideum, while moving persistently in an environment filled with obstacles, can navigate away from more crowded areas towards regions with more space: an effect called topotaxis. We theoretically study active particles in a crowded environment and discuss whether or not persistent motion on itself, in the absence of any more complicated biological interactions, can drive this behavior.