Related papers: Reciprocal swimming at intermediate Reynolds numbe…
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…
To achieve propulsion at low Reynolds number, a swimmer must deform in a way that is not invariant under time-reversal symmetry; this result is known as the scallop theorem. We show here that there is no many-scallop theorem. We demonstrate…
We report on a series of fully resolved simulations of the flow around a rigid sphere translating steadily near a wall, either in a fluid at rest or in the presence of a uniform shear. Non-rotating and freely rotating spheres subject to a…
A small spheroid settling in a quiescent fluid experiences an inertial torque that aligns it so that it settles with its broad side first. Here we show that an active particle experiences such a torque too, as it settles in a fluid at rest.…
Small-scale locomotion plays an important role in biology. Different modelling approaches have been proposed in the past. The simplest model is an infinite inextensible two-dimensional waving sheet, {originally introduced by Taylor}, which…
When two spherical particles submerged in a viscous fluid are subjected to an oscillatory flow, they align themselves perpendicular to the direction of the flow leaving a small gap between them. The formation of this compact structure is…
We investigate the dynamics of several slender rigid bodies moving in a flow driven by the three-dimensional steady Stokes system in presence of a smooth background flow. More precisely we consider the limit where the thickness of these…
In the absence of inertia, a reciprocal swimmer achieves no net motion in a viscous Newtonian fluid. Here, we investigate the ability of a reciprocally actuated particle to translate through a complex fluid that possesses a network using…
We study exact solutions for the slow viscous flow of an infinite liquid caused by two rigid spheres approaching each either along or parallel to their line of centres, valid at all separations. This goes beyond the applicable range of…
We discuss a locomotion of a three-sphere microswimmer in a viscoelastic medium and propose a new type of active microrheology. We derive a relation which connects average swimming velocity and frequency-dependent viscosity of the…
A recently introduced model for an autonomous swimmer at low Reynolds number that is comprised of three spheres connected by two arms is considered when one of the spheres has a large radius. The Stokes hydrodynamic flow associated with the…
Many microorganisms find themselves immersed in fluids displaying non-Newtonian rheological properties such as viscoelasticity and shear-thinning viscosity. The effects of viscoelasticity on swimming at low Reynolds numbers have already…
Self-propulsion at low Reynolds number is notoriously restricted, a concept that is commonly known as the "scallop theorem". Here we present a truly self-propelled swimmer (force- and torque- free) that, while unable to swim in a Newtonian…
The swimming of a deformable uniform sphere is studied in second order perturbation theory in the amplitude of the stroke. The effect of the first order reaction force on the first order center of mass velocity is calculated in linear…
In many biological systems, microorganisms swim through complex polymeric fluids, and usually deform the medium at a rate faster than the inverse fluid relaxation time. We address the basic properties of such life at high Deborah number…
The goal of the paper is to determine boundary conditions in PDE models of collisions of microswimmers in a viscous fluid. We consider two self-propelled spheres (microswimmers) moving towards each other in viscous fluid. We first show that…
Hydrodynamic interactions are crucial for determining the cooperative behavior of microswimmers at low Reynolds numbers. Here we provide a comprehensive analysis of the scaling and strength of the interactions in the case of a pair of…
It is well known that the reversibility of Stokes flow makes it difficult for small microorganisms to swim. Inertial effects break this reversibility, allowing new mechanisms of propulsion and feeding. Therefore it is important to…
The dynamic resistance of a sphere with a general inhomogeneous slip boundary condition is analysed in Newtonian unbounded uniform flow at low Reynolds number. The boundary condition is treated as a perturbation to a homogeneous sphere,…
Active particles disturb the fluid around them as force dipoles, or stresslets, which govern their collective dynamics. Unlike swimming speeds, the stresslets of active particles are rarely determined due to the lack of a suitable…