Propulsion with a Rotating Elastic Nanorod
Soft Condensed Matter
2007-05-23 v1 Materials Science
Abstract
The dynamics of a rotating elastic filament is investigated using Stokesian simulations. The filament, straight and tilted with respect to its rotation axis for small driving torques, undergoes at a critical torque a strongly discontinuous shape bifurcation to a helical state. It induces a substantial forward propulsion whatever the sense of rotation: a nanomechanical force-rectification device is established.
Cite
@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0602238,
title = {Propulsion with a Rotating Elastic Nanorod},
author = {Manoel Manghi and Xaver Schlagberger and Roland R. Netz},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0602238},
year = {2007}
}
Comments
4 pages, 3 figures, to be published in Physical Review Letters