Swimming, Pumping and Gliding at low Reynolds numbers

arXivphysics/0703240MaRDI QIDQ6502822FDOQ6502822

Authors: J. E. Avron, Or Raz 

Abstract: Simple, linear equations relate microscopic swimmers to the corresponding gliders and pumps. They have the following set of consequences: The swimming velocity of free swimmers can be inferred from the force on the tethered swimmer and vice versa; A tethered swimmer dissipates more energy than a free swimmer; It is possible to swim with arbitrarily high efficiency, but it is impossible to pump with arbitrarily high efficiency and finally that pumping is geometric. We also solve several optimization problems associated with swimming and pumping: The problem of optimal anchoring for a certain class of swimmers that includes the Purcell swimmer and the three linked spheres and the optimal geometries of helices considered as swimmers and pumps.

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