Transport phenomena and dynamics of externally and self-propelled colloids in confined geometry

C. Kreuter; U. Siems; P. Nielaba; P. Leiderer; A. Erbe

doi:10.1140/epjst/e2013-02067-x

EPJ

Transport phenomena and dynamics of externally and self-propelled colloids in confined geometry

C. Kreuter¹, U. Siems¹, P. Nielaba¹, P. Leiderer¹ and A. Erbe²

¹ Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
² Helmholtz-Center Dresden-Rossendorf, 01314 Dresden, Germany

Received: 6 September 2013
Revised: 17 September 2013
Published online: 25 November 2013

Abstract

Over the last decades, colloidal suspensions have been proven as powerful model systems to reveal fundamental questions in soft matter or general physics. In this work, we will focus on the influence of interaction and confinement to the mobility of colloidal particles as well as to the transport behavior of particles over obstacles placed in a micro-channel. Both experiments are supported with Brownian dynamics simulations to complete the experimental work. The paper concludes with the investigation of the behavior of single active swimmers close to a wall.