Phase transition in the scalar noise model of collective motion in three dimensions

Abstract. We consider disorder-order phase transitions in the three-dimensional version of the scalar noise model (SNM) of flocking. Our results are analogous to those found for the two-dimensional case [1] and [2]. For small velocity (v ≤ 0.1) a continuous, second-order phase transition is observable, with the diffusion of nearby particles being isotropic. By increasing the particle velocities the phase transition changes to first order, and the diffusion becomes anisotropic. The firstorder transition in the latter case is probably caused by the interplay between anisotropic diffusion and periodic boundary conditions, leading to a boundary condition dependent symmetry breaking of the solutions.