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
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.
Key words: Topical issue: Active Matter
© EDP Sciences, SIF, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2013
