Rotation of slender swimmers in isotropic-drag media.
Accepted version
Peer-reviewed
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Repository DOI
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Authors
Koens, Lyndon Mathijs https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2059-8268
Lauga, Eric Lauga https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8916-2545
Abstract
The drag anisotropy of slender filaments is a critical physical property allowing swimming in low-Reynolds number flows, and without it linear translation is impossible. Here we show that, in contrast, net rotation can occur under isotropic drag. We first demonstrate this result formally by considering the consequences of the force- and torque-free conditions on swimming bodies and we then illustrate it with two examples (a simple swimmers made of three rods and a model bacterium with two helical flagellar filaments). Our results highlight the different role of hydrodynamic forces in generating translational versus rotational propulsion.
Description
Keywords
physics.flu-dyn, physics.flu-dyn, cond-mat.soft, physics.bio-ph
Journal Title
Phys Rev E
Conference Name
Journal ISSN
2470-0045
2470-0053
2470-0053
Volume Title
Publisher
American Physical Society (APS)
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Sponsorship
This research was funded in part by the European Union through a Marie Curie CIG grant (EL) and by the Cambridge Trust (LK).