Alexander, Gareth P. and Yeomans, Julia M. (2008) Dumb-bell swimmers. EPL (Europhysics Letters), Vol.83 (No.3). Article no. 34006. doi:10.1209/0295-5075/83/34006

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Abstract

We investigate the way in which oscillating dumb-bells, a simple microscopic model of apolar swimmers, move at low Reynold's number. In accordance with Purcell's Scallop Theorem a single dumb-bell cannot swim because its stroke is reciprocal in time. However the motion of two or more dumb-bells, with mutual phase differences, is not time reversal invariant, and hence swimming is possible. We use analytical and numerical solutions of the Stokes equations to calculate the hydrodynamic interaction between two dumb-bell swimmers and to discuss their relative motion. The cooperative effect of interactions between swimmers is explored by considering first regular, and then random arrays of dumb-bells. We find that a square array acts as a micropump. The long-time behaviour of suspensions of dumb-bells is investigated and compared to that of model polar swimmers.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	Q Science > QC Physics
Divisions:	Faculty of Science > Physics
Journal or Publication Title:	EPL (Europhysics Letters)
Publisher:	Institute of Physics Publishing Ltd.
ISSN:	0295-5075
Official Date:	23 July 2008
Dates:	Date Event 23 July 2008 Published
Volume:	Vol.83
Number:	No.3
Page Range:	Article no. 34006
DOI:	10.1209/0295-5075/83/34006
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access

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