title: Spontaneous mode-selection in the self-propelled motion of a solid/liquid composite driven by interfacial instability.
abstract: Spontaneous motion of a solid/liquid composite induced by a chemical Marangoni effect, where an oil droplet attached to a solid soap is placed on a water phase, was investigated. The composite exhibits various characteristic motions, such as revolution (orbital motion) and translational motion. The results showed that the mode of this spontaneous motion switches with a change in the size of the solid scrap. The essential features of this mode-switching were reproduced by ordinary differential equations by considering nonlinear friction with proper symmetry.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Takabatake
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Magome
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa