English

Motility-sorting of self-propelled particles in micro-channels

Soft Condensed Matter 2014-09-05 v1

Abstract

Spontaneous segregation of run-and-tumble particles with different velocities in microchannels is investigated by numerical simulations. Self-propelled particles are known to accumulate in the proximity of walls. Here we show how fast particles expel slower ones from the wall leading to a segregated state. The mechanism is understood as a function of particle velocities, particle density, or channel width. In the presence of an external fluid flow, particles with two different velocities segregate due to their different particle fluxes. Promising applications can be found in the development of microfluidic lab-on-a-chip devices for sorting of particles with different motilities.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1409.1417,
  title  = {Motility-sorting of self-propelled particles in micro-channels},
  author = {Andrea Costanzo and Jens Elgeti and Thorsten Auth and Gerhard Gompper and Marisol Ripoll},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1409.1417},
  year   = {2014}
}
R2 v1 2026-06-22T05:48:32.065Z