Migration and deformation of a droplet enclosing an active particle

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kawakami, Sho, Vlahovska, Petia M.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866908273373872128
author Kawakami, Sho
Vlahovska, Petia M.
author_facet Kawakami, Sho
Vlahovska, Petia M.
contents The encapsulation of active particles, such as bacteria or active colloids, inside a droplet gives rise to nontrivial shape dynamics and droplet motility. To understand this behavior, we derive an asymptotic solution for the fluid flow about a deformable droplet containing an active particle, modeled as a Stokes-flow singularity, in the case of small shape distortions. Offsetting of the active particle from the center of the drop breaks symmetry and leads to excitation of large number of shape modes as well as particle and drop displacement. Flows due to common singularity representations of active particles, such as Stokeslets, rotlets, and stresslets, are computed and compared to results for non-deformable droplets enclosing active particles. The effect of interfacial properties is also investigated. Surfactants adsorbed at the droplet interface immobilize the interface and arrest the droplet motion. Our results highlight strategies to steer the flows of active particles and create autonomously navigating containers.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2407_10009
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Migration and deformation of a droplet enclosing an active particle
Kawakami, Sho
Vlahovska, Petia M.
Soft Condensed Matter
Fluid Dynamics
The encapsulation of active particles, such as bacteria or active colloids, inside a droplet gives rise to nontrivial shape dynamics and droplet motility. To understand this behavior, we derive an asymptotic solution for the fluid flow about a deformable droplet containing an active particle, modeled as a Stokes-flow singularity, in the case of small shape distortions. Offsetting of the active particle from the center of the drop breaks symmetry and leads to excitation of large number of shape modes as well as particle and drop displacement. Flows due to common singularity representations of active particles, such as Stokeslets, rotlets, and stresslets, are computed and compared to results for non-deformable droplets enclosing active particles. The effect of interfacial properties is also investigated. Surfactants adsorbed at the droplet interface immobilize the interface and arrest the droplet motion. Our results highlight strategies to steer the flows of active particles and create autonomously navigating containers.
title Migration and deformation of a droplet enclosing an active particle
topic Soft Condensed Matter
Fluid Dynamics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.10009