title: Propulsion with a rotating elastic nanorod.
abstract: The dynamics of a rotating elastic filament is investigated using Stokesian simulations. The filament, straight and tilted with respect to its rotation axis for small driving torques, undergoes at a critical torque a strongly discontinuous shape bifurcation to a helical state. It induces a substantial forward propulsion whatever the sense of rotation: a nanomechanical force-rectification device is established.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physique Théorique, IRSAMC, Université Paul Sabatier, 31062 Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Manoel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manghi
authors.forename: Xaver
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Schlagberger
authors.forename: Roland R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Netz
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001704:Biopolymers; D004548:Elasticity; D005407:Flagella; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D049329:Nanostructures; D012399:Rotation; D013269:Stochastic Processes; D019415:Torque
chemical_list: D001704:Biopolymers