Eur. Phys. J. E (2013) 36: 4
https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2013-13004-5

Regular Article

Periodic and quasiperiodic motion of an elongated microswimmer in Poiseuille flow

Institut für Theoretische Physik, Technische Universität Berlin, Hardenbergstrasse 36, 10623, Berlin, Germany

^* e-mail: andreas.zoettl@tu-berlin.de

Received: 1 June 2012
Revised: 22 October 2012
Accepted: 12 December 2012
Published online: 17 January 2013

Abstract

We study the dynamics of a prolate spheroidal microswimmer in Poiseuille flow for different flow geometries. When moving between two parallel plates or in a cylindrical microchannel, the swimmer performs either periodic swinging or periodic tumbling motion. Although the trajectories of spherical and elongated swimmers are qualitatively similar, the swinging and tumbling frequency strongly depends on the aspect ratio of the swimmer. In channels with reduced symmetry the swimmers perform quasiperiodic motion which we demonstrate explicitly for swimming in a channel with elliptical cross-section.