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Hydrodynamics of flagellated microswimmers near free-slip interfaces

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 January 2016

D. Pimponi ,
M. Chinappi ,
P. Gualtieri  and
C. M. Casciola
D. Pimponi
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Sapienza University, Rome, Via Eudossiana 18, 00184, Italy
M. Chinappi
Affiliation:
Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Roma, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161, Italy
P. Gualtieri
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Sapienza University, Rome, Via Eudossiana 18, 00184, Italy
C. M. Casciola*
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Sapienza University, Rome, Via Eudossiana 18, 00184, Italy
*
†Email address for correspondence: [email protected]
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Abstract

The hydrodynamics of a flagellated micro-organism is investigated when swimming close to a planar free-slip surface by means of numerical solutions of the Stokes equations obtained via a boundary element method. Depending on the initial conditions, the swimmer can either escape from the free-slip surface or collide with the boundary. Interestingly, the micro-organism does not exhibit a stable orbit. Independently of escape or attraction to the interface, close to a free-slip surface, the swimmer follows a counter-clockwise trajectory, in agreement with experimental findings (Di Leonardo et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 106 (3), 2011, 038101). The hydrodynamics is indeed modified by the free surface. In fact, when the same swimmer moves close to a no-slip wall, a set of initial conditions exists which result in stable orbits. Moreover, when moving close to a free-slip or a no-slip boundary, the swimmer assumes a different orientation with respect to its trajectory. Taken together, these results contribute to shed light on the hydrodynamical behaviour of micro-organisms close to liquid–air interfaces which are relevant for the formation of interfacial biofilms of aerobic bacteria.

JFM classification

Low-Reynolds-number flows: Boundary integral methods Micro-/Nano-fluid dynamics: Microfluidics Biological Fluid Dynamics: Micro-organism dynamics
Type
Papers
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 789 , 25 February 2016 , pp. 514 - 533
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Copyright
© 2016 Cambridge University Press 

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