https://doi.org/10.1140/epjst/e2010-01278-y
Regular Article
Low Reynolds number hydrodynamics of asymmetric, oscillating dumbbell pairs
Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford, 1 Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3NP, UK
a e-mail: v.putz1@physics.ox.ac.uk
b e-mail: j.dunkel@physics.ox.ac.uk
Received:
3
August
2010
Revised:
9
August
2010
Published online:
1
October
2010
Active dumbbell suspensions constitute one of the simplest model systems for collective swimming at low Reynolds number. Generalizing recent work, we derive and analyze stroke-averaged equations of motion that capture the effective hydrodynamic far-field interaction between two oscillating, asymmetric dumbbells in three space dimensions. Time-averaged equations of motion, as those presented in this paper, not only yield a considerable speed-up in numerical simulations, but may also serve as a starting point when deriving continuum equations for the macroscopic dynamics of multi-swimmer suspensions. The specific model discussed here appears to be particularly useful in this context, since it allows one to investigate how the collective macroscopic behavior is affected by changes in the microscopic symmetry of individual swimmers.
© EDP Sciences, Springer-Verlag, 2010
