Effect of fluid elasticity on the emergence of oscillations in an active elastic filament

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Link, Kathryn G., Guy, Robert D., Thomases, Becca, Arratia, Paulo E.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2023
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author Link, Kathryn G.
Guy, Robert D.
Thomases, Becca
Arratia, Paulo E.
author_facet Link, Kathryn G.
Guy, Robert D.
Thomases, Becca
Arratia, Paulo E.
contents Many microorganisms propel through complex media by deformations of their flagella. The beat is thought to emerge from interactions between forces of the surrounding fluid, passive elastic response from deformations of the flagellum, and active forces from internal molecular motors. The beat varies in response to changes in the fluid rheology, including elasticity, but there is limited data on how systematic changes in elasticity alters the beat. This work analyzes a related problem with fixed-strength driving force: the emergence of beating of an elastic planar filament driven by a follower force at the tip in a viscoelastic fluid. This analysis examines how the onset of oscillations depends on the strength of the force and viscoelastic parameters. Compared to a Newtonian fluid, it takes more force to induce the instability in viscoelastic fluids, and the frequency of the oscillation is higher. The linear analysis predicts that the frequency increases with the fluid relaxation time. Using numerical simulations, the model predictions are compared with experimental data on frequency changes in bi-flagellated alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The model shows the same trends in response to changes in both fluid viscosity and Deborah number, and thus provides a mechanistic understanding of the experimental observations.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2306_03178
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Effect of fluid elasticity on the emergence of oscillations in an active elastic filament
Link, Kathryn G.
Guy, Robert D.
Thomases, Becca
Arratia, Paulo E.
Fluid Dynamics
Biological Physics
Many microorganisms propel through complex media by deformations of their flagella. The beat is thought to emerge from interactions between forces of the surrounding fluid, passive elastic response from deformations of the flagellum, and active forces from internal molecular motors. The beat varies in response to changes in the fluid rheology, including elasticity, but there is limited data on how systematic changes in elasticity alters the beat. This work analyzes a related problem with fixed-strength driving force: the emergence of beating of an elastic planar filament driven by a follower force at the tip in a viscoelastic fluid. This analysis examines how the onset of oscillations depends on the strength of the force and viscoelastic parameters. Compared to a Newtonian fluid, it takes more force to induce the instability in viscoelastic fluids, and the frequency of the oscillation is higher. The linear analysis predicts that the frequency increases with the fluid relaxation time. Using numerical simulations, the model predictions are compared with experimental data on frequency changes in bi-flagellated alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The model shows the same trends in response to changes in both fluid viscosity and Deborah number, and thus provides a mechanistic understanding of the experimental observations.
title Effect of fluid elasticity on the emergence of oscillations in an active elastic filament
topic Fluid Dynamics
Biological Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.03178