https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2012-12052-7
Regular Article
Minimal polar swimmer at low Reynolds number
Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, 600036, Chennai, India
* e-mail: aditi@physics.iitm.ac.in
Received:
24
March
2012
Revised:
16
May
2012
Accepted:
31
May
2012
Published online:
26
June
2012
We propose a minimal model for a polar swimmer, consisting of two spheres connected by a rigid slender arm, at low Reynolds number. The propulsive velocity for the proposed model is the maximum for any swimming cycle with the same variations in its two degrees of freedom and its displacement in a cycle is achieved entirely in one step. The stroke averaged flow field generated by the contractile swimmer at large distances is found to be dipolar. In addition, the changing radius of one of the spheres generates the field of a potential doublet centered at its initial position.
Key words: Living systems: Structure and Function
© EDP Sciences, SIF, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2012
