Berlin 2015 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 20: Microswimmers, Active Liquids II (joint DY/BP/CPP)

BP 20.5: Talk

Tuesday, March 17, 2015, 10:30–10:45, BH-N 128

Simulation of a microswimmer consisting of a four bead ring — •Hendrik Ender and Jan Kierfeld — Lehrstuhl für Theoretische Physik I, Technische Universität Dortmund

Bead-spring structures undergoing cyclic shape changes in a viscous liquid can serve as model systems for artificial microswimmers. Closed ring-like bead-spring models can propel by cyclic shape changes, for example, induced by cyclic expansion and contraction of springs. Using multi-particle collision dynamics, we simulate a four-bead swimmer model in which the spheres are linked into a square-shaped ring structure. We show that cyclic changes of linker lengths give rise to a net swimming motion. The model can be generalized by including more beads into the ring structure and represents the first step towards the simulation of bigger ring or spherical swimmers, which propel by cyclic swelling and shrinking.