Bubble invasion

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I was studying in an open study area recently using a white board and a guy came and stood there for a little while and finally I don't know how it happened that he was in my space and got all involved in what I was working on to try to figure it out also. I guess I finally gave in to the obvious "'I'm standing here because i'm interested in what you are doing. this is where you look up and acknowledge my existence and I initiate conversation" gesture.The problem was that I couldn't think while he was there in my bubble. At one point, working on the board his body was mere centimeters away from mine because he reached over to erase something. He wasn't dumb; he could actually offer something to the problem. And other than him pulling his shirt up to wipe sweat from his face, and him cluttering up the board with his attempts at the problem, there wasn't anything really annoying about him except the mere fact that he was there. He stayed there a while, then left and then came back.
Finally I had to go to class and it took me about five minutes on a whiteboard in an empty room next to my class to solve this problem that I'd just spent two hours on outside with his participation.

But I'm often feeling bad about having no one to study with or work next to. But then when someone shows up like this I can't stand it. Maybe its more that they weren't invited.

I have a very sensitive "bubble". I become exponentially more uncomfortable the closer a person gets. I especially don't like people touching me, AT ALL. I don't know how to respond to it. I try to look uncomfortable and back away if possible (but unfortunately I tend to look uncomfortable all the time).

I wish I had better advice for you. You could try the ol' you-might-want-to-stay-away-because-i'm-sick routine, but personally I don't lie well.

I am very sensitive about people in my personal space.

I often imagine myself as having a literal bubble about me that others can't access.

People very rarely seem to get to close to me.

Maybe I look at them coldly or something, it's subconcious, but I seem to somehow project a don't get to close to me aura and people generally don't, no idea how I'm doing this though.

I have on occasion explained to acquaintances / work colleagues 'that I have a bit of a thing about personal space and would they mind not standing or sitting too close'. People have been ok about this and moved away a bit and this has helped me.