Study of physical, biological, and chemical aspects of vortex forming animal swarms in theory and experiment, especially in Daphnia

拟议的跨学科项目从理论和实验两个方面研究旋涡形成的自行剂群的物理、生物和化学方面。该研究的实验部分使用的生物制剂是常见的淡水浮游动物Daphnia。该项目包括两个平行的研究方向：(1)研究自行剂群中从聚集到集体涡旋运动的转变以及发生这种转变所需的前提条件。建议通过以下方法进行研究：(A)计算机模拟，特别是分析药剂与周围介质之间的相互作用以及药剂间的相互作用，以及(B)实验，以追踪个别水蚤的路径和高密度群体中的水运动。(2)对个体动物对环境变化的行为进行详细的实验研究，即凯洛酮(来自捕食者的化学线索)和食物浓度的变化，光条件的变化，或动物密度的变化。如上文(1)所述，这项研究的结果除了本身的权利外，对于发展从群聚到集体涡旋运动的后续实验和优化现有的计算机模型也很重要。

The proposed interdisciplinary project deals with the physical, biological, and chemical aspects of vortex forming swarms of self-propelled agents in theory and experiment.The biological agent employed for the experimental part of the study is the common fresh-water zooplankton Daphnia. The project consists of two research directions to be followed in parallel:(1) The investigation of the transition from gathering to collective vortex motion in self-propelled agent swarms and the preconditions necessary for this transition to occur. This is proposed to be studied by means of (a) computer modeling, especially with respect to the analysis of the interactions between the agents and the surrounding medium, as well as inter-agent interactions, and (b) experiments which allow tracking of the path of individual Daphnia and the water movement in high density swarms.(2) The detailed experimental investigation of the behavior of individual animals to changes in their environment, i.e. changes in kairomone (chemical cues from predators) and food concentration, changes in light conditions, or changes in animal density.This is proposed to be analyzed mainly by electrorecording neural responses of Daphnia and characterizing their swimming behavior. Besides its own right, results of this study are important for the development of follow-up experiments dealing with the transition from swarming to collective vortex motion and the optimization of existing computer models, as outlined above in (1).