Dresden 2017 – scientific programme

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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik

CPP 6: Focus: Soft Particles in Flows I (joint focus session CPP/DY)

CPP 6.8: Talk

Monday, March 20, 2017, 12:45–13:00, ZEU 160

Inertial migration of elastic capsules in Poiseuille flow — •Christian Schaaf, Kevin Irmer, Christopher Prohm, and Holger Stark — Institut für Theoretische Physik, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Deformable particles such as capsules, vesicles and red blood cells assemble at fixed equilibrium positions in a microfluidic channel under Poiseuille flow. This behavior can be used to separate particles with different mechanical properties. For example, softer cancer cells travel closer to the center than healthy ones.

Using the Lattice-Boltzmann method, we study the dynamics of single deformable particles in a microfluidic channel for intermediate Reynolds numbers.

We show that particles move to different equilibrium position depending on their size and deformability. For Reynolds numbers below 100, their equilibrium positions collapse onto a single master curve depending only on the Laplace number. By applying external forces along the channel axis, we are able to control the equilibrium distance from the channel centerline and thereby have a means to enhance the sensitivity of particle separation.