Multi-cue kinetic model with non-local sensing for cell migration on a fiber network with chemotaxis (Q2113602)

A kinetic model is derived for the motion of cells directed simultaneously by chemotactic signalling and contact guidance along the fibers of a network. Introducing the distribution function \(p(t,\mathbf{x},v,\mathbf{\hat{v}})\) of cells at time \(t\ge 0\) and spatial position \(\mathbf{x}\in\Omega\), \(\Omega\subseteq \mathbb{R}^d\), with velocity \(v\in [0,V]\) and polarization direction \(\mathbf{\hat{v}}\in\mathbb{S}^{d-1}\), the evolution of \(p\) is given by the transport equation \[ \partial_t p(t,\mathbf{x},v,\mathbf{\hat{v}}) + v \mathbf{\hat{v}}\cdot \nabla_{\mathbf{x}} p(t,\mathbf{x},v,\mathbf{\hat{v}}) = \mathcal{J}[p](t,\mathbf{x},v,\mathbf{\hat{v}}), \] where \(\mathcal{J}[p]\) is the turning operator accounting for the scattering of the microscopic velocity in direction and speed. Its dynamics is given by the \textit{run and tumble} process \[ \mathcal{J}[p](t,\mathbf{x},v,\mathbf{\hat{v}}) = \mu(\mathbf{x}) \Big( \rho(t,\mathbf{x}) \mathcal{T}(t,\mathbf{x},v,\mathbf{\hat{v}}) - p(t,\mathbf{x},v,\mathbf{\hat{v}}) \Big), \] where \[ \rho(t,\mathbf{x}) = \int_0^V \int_{\mathbb{S}^{d-1}} p(t,\mathbf{x},v,\mathbf{\hat{v}}) \mathrm{d}\mathbf{\hat{v}}\mathrm{d}v \] and the nonlocal operator \(\mathcal{T}\) features a chemotactic contribution involving the chemoattractant density \(\mathcal{S}=\mathcal{S}(t,\mathbf{x})\) and a contribution accounting for contact guidance monitored by a distribution \(q=q(x,\mathbf{\hat{v}})\) of fibers. Macroscopic models for \(\rho\) are next derived, according to the respective fast or slow spatial variations of \(\mathcal{S}\) and \(q\). Numerical simulations of the kinetic model are also performed to investigate the dynamics in the different regimes.