Dynamics of Purcell-type microswimmers with active-elastic joints

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Zigelman, Anna, Zvi, Gilad Ben, Or, Yizhar
Format: Preprint
Published: 2023
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author Zigelman, Anna
Zvi, Gilad Ben
Or, Yizhar
author_facet Zigelman, Anna
Zvi, Gilad Ben
Or, Yizhar
contents Purcell's planar three-link microswimmer is a classic model of swimming in low-Reynolds-number fluid, inspired by motion of flagellated microorganisms. Many works analyzed this model, assuming that the two joint angles are directly prescribed in phase-shifted periodic inputs. In this work, we study a more realistic scenario by considering an extension of this model which accounts for joints' elasticity and mechanical actuation of periodic torques, so that the joint angles are dynamically evolving. Numerical analysis of the swimmer's dynamics reveals multiplicity of periodic solutions, depending on parameters of the inputs - frequency and amplitude of excitation, joints' stiffness ratio, as well as joint's activation. We numerically study swimming direction reversal, as well as bifurcations, stability transitions, and symmetry breaking of the periodic solutions, which represent the effect of buckling instability observed in swimming microorganisms. The results demonstrate that this variant of Purcell's simple model displays rich nonlinear dynamic behavior with actuated-elastic joints. Similar results are also obtained when studying an extended model of a six-link microswimmer.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2309_09655
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Dynamics of Purcell-type microswimmers with active-elastic joints
Zigelman, Anna
Zvi, Gilad Ben
Or, Yizhar
Fluid Dynamics
Mathematical Physics
Chaotic Dynamics
Purcell's planar three-link microswimmer is a classic model of swimming in low-Reynolds-number fluid, inspired by motion of flagellated microorganisms. Many works analyzed this model, assuming that the two joint angles are directly prescribed in phase-shifted periodic inputs. In this work, we study a more realistic scenario by considering an extension of this model which accounts for joints' elasticity and mechanical actuation of periodic torques, so that the joint angles are dynamically evolving. Numerical analysis of the swimmer's dynamics reveals multiplicity of periodic solutions, depending on parameters of the inputs - frequency and amplitude of excitation, joints' stiffness ratio, as well as joint's activation. We numerically study swimming direction reversal, as well as bifurcations, stability transitions, and symmetry breaking of the periodic solutions, which represent the effect of buckling instability observed in swimming microorganisms. The results demonstrate that this variant of Purcell's simple model displays rich nonlinear dynamic behavior with actuated-elastic joints. Similar results are also obtained when studying an extended model of a six-link microswimmer.
title Dynamics of Purcell-type microswimmers with active-elastic joints
topic Fluid Dynamics
Mathematical Physics
Chaotic Dynamics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.09655