Session LL: Bio-Fluids: Wakes and Mixing I
3:35 PM–5:58 PM, Monday, November 24, 2008
Room: 103A
Chair: Michael Plesniak, George Washington University/Purdue University
Abstract ID: BAPS.2008.DFD.LL.11
Abstract: LL.00011 : No many-scallop theorem: Collective locomotion of reciprocal swimmers
5:45 PM–5:58 PM
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Abstract
Authors:
Denis Bartolo
(ESPCI)
Eric Lauga
(UCSD)
To achieve propulsion at low Reynolds number, a swimmer must deform in a way that is not invariant under time-reversal symmetry; this result is known as the scallop theorem. However, there is no many-scallop theorem. We demonstrate that two active particles undergoing reciprocal deformations can swim collectively; moreover, polar particles also experience effective long-range interactions. These results are derived for a minimal dimers model, and generalized to more complex geometries on the basis of symmetry and scaling arguments. We explain how such cooperative locomotion can be realized experimentally by shaking a collection of soft particles with a homogeneous external field.
To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2008.DFD.LL.11