Hydrodynamics Defines the Stable Swimming Direction of Spherical Squirmers in a Nematic Liquid Crystal
Hydrodynamics Defines the Stable Swimming Direction of Spherical Squirmers in a Nematic Liquid Crystal
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DOI：
10.1103/physrevlett.119.068001
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发表时间：
2017-08-08
影响因子：
8.6
通讯作者：
Stratford, K.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Lintuvuori, J. S.;Wurger, A.;Stratford, K.
我们提出了一个研究的流体动力学的一个活跃的粒子-模型蠕动-在一个环境中与破缺的旋转对称性：液晶。通过模拟与解析计算相结合，我们表明蠕动流场与液晶指向器之间的流体动力学耦合可以导致游泳者的重新定向。优选的取向取决于蠕动流场的确切细节。在一个稳定的状态下，推动者被示出为平行于方向盘的方向游动，而拉动者则垂直于方向盘的方向游动。这种行为完全是由蠕动流场和宿主流体的各向异性粘度之间的流体动力学耦合引起的。我们的研究结果表明，各向异性的游泳介质可以用来表征和指导大规模的球形microswimmer。
We present a study of the hydrodynamics of an active particle-a model squirmer-in an environment with a broken rotational symmetry: a nematic liquid crystal. By combining simulations with analytic calculations, we show that the hydrodynamic coupling between the squirmer flow field and liquid crystalline director can lead to reorientation of the swimmers. The preferred orientation depends on the exact details of the squirmer flow field. In a steady state, pushers are shown to swim parallel with the nematic director while pullers swim perpendicular to the nematic director. This behavior arises solely from hydrodynamic coupling between the squirmer flow field and anisotropic viscosities of the host fluid. Our results suggest that an anisotropic swimming medium can be used to characterize and guide spherical microswimmers in the bulk.