Getting trapped in low-Re turbulence and collaborating your way out

Enkeleida Lushi; Michael Shelley

Getting trapped in low-Re turbulence and collaborating your way out

ORAL

Abstract

We present an efficient numerical method to compute the dynamics of thousands of self-motile rod-like micro-swimmers that interact directly via the fluid flow they collectively generate. Using this method, we study the dynamics of rod-like swimmer particles in a background cellular vortical flow and show that hydrodynamic and steric interactions, the number of swimmers and system size, as well as the swimming mechanism (``Pusher'' vs. ``Puller''), have an effect on whether the swimmers get trapped in vortices or can escape them.

Nov. 22, 2011, 9:44 AM – Nov. 22, 2011, 9:57 AM

Authors

Enkeleida Lushi

Courant Institute NYU, and Imperial College London
Michael Shelley

Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, New York 10012, USA, New York University, Courant Institute, Courant Institute of Mathematical Science, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Courant Institute, New York University, Courant Institute, New York University, Courant Institute, NYU, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, NYU