Optimal view angle in collective dynamics of self-propelled agents.

We study a system of self-propelled agents with the restricted vision. The field of vision of each agent is only a sector of disk bounded by two radii and the included arc. The inclination of these two radii is characterized by the view angle. The consideration of restricted vision is closer to the reality because natural swarms usually do not have a panoramic view. Interestingly, we find that there exists an optimal view angle, leading to the fastest direction consensus. The value of the optimal view angle depends on the density, the interaction radius, the absolute velocity of swarms, and the strength of noise. Our findings may invoke further efforts and attentions to explore the underlying mechanism of the collective motion.