Collective Motion of Microorganisms in a Viscoelastic Fluid.
We study the collective motion of a suspension of rodlike microswimmers in a two-dimensional film of viscoelastic fluids. We find that the fluid elasticity has a small effect on a suspension of pullers, while it significantly affects the pushers. The attraction and orientational ordering of the pushers are enhanced in viscoelastic fluids. The induced polymer stresses break down the large-scale flow structures and suppress velocity fluctuations. In addition, the energy spectra and induced mixing in the suspension of pushers are greatly modified by fluid elasticity.
School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA.
Gaojin
G
Li
School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA.
Arezoo M
AM
Ardekani
D001419:Bacteria; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D004548:Elasticity; D057446:Hydrodynamics; D008954:Models, Biological; D009038:Motion; D009068:Movement; D011108:Polymers; D013535:Suspensions
D011108:Polymers; D013535:Suspensions