Flocking of Active Particles in a Turbulent Flow
Soft Condensed Matter
2020-05-20 v1 Statistical Mechanics
Fluid Dynamics
Abstract
We investigate the effect of cooperative interactions in an ensemble of microorganisms, modelled as self-propelled disk-like and rod-like particles, in a three-dimensional turbulent flow to show flocking as an emergent phenomenon. Building on the work by Choudhary, et al. [Europhys. Lett. 112, 24005 (2015)] for two-dimensional systems, and combining ideas from active matter and turbulent transport, we show that non-trivial correlations between the flow and individual dynamics are essential for the microorganisms to flock in, for example, a turbulent three-dimensional, marine environment. Our results may have implications especially in the modelling of artificial microswimmers in a hostile environment.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1812.10288,
title = {Flocking of Active Particles in a Turbulent Flow},
author = {Anupam Gupta and Amal Roy and Arnab Saha and Samriddhi Sankar Ray},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1812.10288},
year = {2020}
}