A Simplest Swimmer at Low Reynolds Number: Three Linked Spheres
Soft Condensed Matter
2009-11-10 v1
Abstract
We propose a very simple one-dimensional swimmer consisting of three spheres that are linked by rigid rods whose lengths can change between two values. With a periodic motion in a non-reciprocal fashion, which breaks the time-reversal symmetry as well as the translational symmetry, we show that the model device can swim at low Reynolds number. This model system could be used in constructing molecular-size machines.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0402070,
title = {A Simplest Swimmer at Low Reynolds Number: Three Linked Spheres},
author = {Ali Najafi and Ramin Golestanian},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0402070},
year = {2009}
}