title: Quantitative estimation of the parameters for self-motion driven by difference in surface tension.
abstract: Quantitative information on the parameters associated with self-propelled objects would enhance the potential of this research field; for example, finding a realistic way to develop a functional self-propelled object and quantitative understanding of the mechanism of self-motion. We therefore estimated five main parameters, including the driving force, of a camphor boat as a simple self-propelled object that spontaneously moves on water due to difference in surface tension. The experimental results and mathematical model indicated that the camphor boat generated a driving force of 4.2 μN, which corresponds to a difference in surface tension of 1.1 mN m(-1). The methods used in this study are not restricted to evaluate the parameters of self-motion of a camphor boat, but can be applied to other self-propelled objects driven by difference in surface tension. Thus, our investigation provides a novel method to quantitatively estimate the parameters for self-propelled objects driven by the interfacial tension difference.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Advanced Mathematical Sciences, Meiji University , 4-21-1 Nakano, Tokyo 164-8525, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuhiko J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Suematsu
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakata
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kitahata
mesh_terms: D002164:Camphor / Q000737:chemistry*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009038:Motion; D013500:Surface Tension
chemical_list: D002164:Camphor