Three-dimensional chiral active Ornstein-Uhlenbeck model for helical motion of microorganisms

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Lettermann, Leon, Ziebert, Falko, Singer, Mirko, Frischknecht, Friedrich, Schwarz, Ulrich S.
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2025
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author Lettermann, Leon
Ziebert, Falko
Singer, Mirko
Frischknecht, Friedrich
Schwarz, Ulrich S.
author_facet Lettermann, Leon
Ziebert, Falko
Singer, Mirko
Frischknecht, Friedrich
Schwarz, Ulrich S.
contents Active movement is essential for the survival of microorganisms like bacteria, algae and unicellular parasites. In three dimensions, both swimming and gliding microorganisms often exhibit helical trajectories. One such case are malaria parasites gliding through 3D hydrogels, for which we find that the internal correlation time for the stochastic process generating propulsion is similar to the time taken for one helical turn. Motivated by this experimental finding, here we theoretically analyze the case of finite internal correlation time for microorganisms with helical trajectories as chiral active particles with an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process for torque. We present an analytical solution which is in very good agreement with computer simulations. We then show that for this type of internal noise, chirality and rotation increase the persistence of motion and results in helical trajectories that have a larger long-time mean squared displacement than straight trajectories at the same propulsion speed. Finally we provide experimental evidence for this prediction for the case of the malaria parasites.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2501_18927
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Three-dimensional chiral active Ornstein-Uhlenbeck model for helical motion of microorganisms
Lettermann, Leon
Ziebert, Falko
Singer, Mirko
Frischknecht, Friedrich
Schwarz, Ulrich S.
Cell Behavior
Soft Condensed Matter
Biological Physics
Active movement is essential for the survival of microorganisms like bacteria, algae and unicellular parasites. In three dimensions, both swimming and gliding microorganisms often exhibit helical trajectories. One such case are malaria parasites gliding through 3D hydrogels, for which we find that the internal correlation time for the stochastic process generating propulsion is similar to the time taken for one helical turn. Motivated by this experimental finding, here we theoretically analyze the case of finite internal correlation time for microorganisms with helical trajectories as chiral active particles with an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process for torque. We present an analytical solution which is in very good agreement with computer simulations. We then show that for this type of internal noise, chirality and rotation increase the persistence of motion and results in helical trajectories that have a larger long-time mean squared displacement than straight trajectories at the same propulsion speed. Finally we provide experimental evidence for this prediction for the case of the malaria parasites.
title Three-dimensional chiral active Ornstein-Uhlenbeck model for helical motion of microorganisms
topic Cell Behavior
Soft Condensed Matter
Biological Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.18927