Self-propulsion through symmetry breaking
Statistical Mechanics
2014-01-08 v1
Abstract
In addition to self-propulsion by phoretic mechanisms that arises from an asymmetric distribution of reactive species around a catalytic motor, spherical particles with a uniform distribution of catalytic activity may also propel themselves under suitable conditions. Reactive fluctuation-induced asymmetry can give rise to transient concentration gradients which may persist under certain conditions, giving rise to a bifurcation to self-propulsion. The nature of this phenomenon is analyzed in detail, and particle-level simulations are carried out to demonstrate its existence.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1401.1360,
title = {Self-propulsion through symmetry breaking},
author = {Pierre de Buyl and Alexander S. Mikhailov and Raymond Kapral},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1401.1360},
year = {2014}
}
Comments
6 pages, 3 figures. Appeared in EPL (Europhysics Letters)