Dynamics of squirmers in explicitly modeled polymeric fluids

Autor(en)

A. Zöttl

Abstrakt

Biological microswimmers such as bacteria and sperm cells often encounter complex biological fluid environments. Here we use the well-known squirmer microswimmer model to show the importance of the local fluid microstructure and non-continuum effects on their swimming speed in different polymeric and filamentous fluids. Surprisingly, we find that different squirmer types move at considerably different speed in filamentous fluids which cannot be explained by existing continuum models, but by considering the local fluid and polymer properties around the squirmers. Furthermore, direct squirmer-polymer interactions slow down in particular pushers by trapping large stiff filaments in a self-generated recirculation region in front of them.

Organisation(en)

Computergestützte Physik und Physik der Weichen Materie

Externe Organisation(en)

Technische Universität Wien

Journal

EPL

Band

143

Anzahl der Seiten

7

ISSN

0295-5075

DOI

https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2306.09720

Publikationsdatum

07-2023

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ÖFOS 2012

103015 Kondensierte Materie

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Allgemeine Physik und Astronomie

Link zum Portal

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/29da0455-3ffd-4a55-b1e4-d2e118560193