TY - JOUR
T1 - Reduced transport of swimming particles in chaotic flow due to hydrodynamic trapping
AU - Khurana, Nidhi
AU - Blawzdziewicz, Jerzy
AU - Ouellette, Nicholas T.
PY - 2011/5/13
Y1 - 2011/5/13
N2 - We computationally study the transport of active, self-propelled particles suspended in a two-dimensional chaotic flow. The pointlike, spherical particles have their own intrinsic swimming velocity, which modifies the dynamical system so that the particles can break the transport barriers present in the carrier flow. Surprisingly, we find that swimming does not necessarily lead to enhanced particle transport. Small but finite swimming speed can result in reduced transport, as swimmers get stuck for long times in traps that form near elliptic islands in the background flow. Our results have implications for models of transport and encounter rates for small marine organisms.
AB - We computationally study the transport of active, self-propelled particles suspended in a two-dimensional chaotic flow. The pointlike, spherical particles have their own intrinsic swimming velocity, which modifies the dynamical system so that the particles can break the transport barriers present in the carrier flow. Surprisingly, we find that swimming does not necessarily lead to enhanced particle transport. Small but finite swimming speed can result in reduced transport, as swimmers get stuck for long times in traps that form near elliptic islands in the background flow. Our results have implications for models of transport and encounter rates for small marine organisms.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79960645456&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.198104
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.198104
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:79960645456
SN - 0031-9007
VL - 106
JO - Physical Review Letters
JF - Physical Review Letters
IS - 19
M1 - 198104
ER -