Moving Forward by Shaking Sideways
We investigate a simple model for a self-propelled swimmer, which consists of a fluctuating force acting at a point on a rigid body. The rigid body is subject to Newton’s equations with linear friction, corresponding to drag in a viscous fluid. The force has zero time average, so net motion is chall...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Symmetry |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/14/3/620 |
| _version_ | 1797441482010918912 |
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| author | Jean-Luc Thiffeault |
| author_facet | Jean-Luc Thiffeault |
| author_sort | Jean-Luc Thiffeault |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We investigate a simple model for a self-propelled swimmer, which consists of a fluctuating force acting at a point on a rigid body. The rigid body is subject to Newton’s equations with linear friction, corresponding to drag in a viscous fluid. The force has zero time average, so net motion is challenging. We show that the swimmer can inch forward by shaking from side to side and exploiting friction coupled with nonlinearity. For large enough forcing amplitude it can reverse direction and swim backward. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:23:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-687dcc8f8c7740a9a48148fec35f9dcd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-8994 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:23:42Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Symmetry |
| spelling | doaj.art-687dcc8f8c7740a9a48148fec35f9dcd2023-11-30T22:37:09ZengMDPI AGSymmetry2073-89942022-03-0114362010.3390/sym14030620Moving Forward by Shaking SidewaysJean-Luc Thiffeault0Department of Mathematics, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 480 Lincoln Dr., Madison, WI 53706, USAWe investigate a simple model for a self-propelled swimmer, which consists of a fluctuating force acting at a point on a rigid body. The rigid body is subject to Newton’s equations with linear friction, corresponding to drag in a viscous fluid. The force has zero time average, so net motion is challenging. We show that the swimmer can inch forward by shaking from side to side and exploiting friction coupled with nonlinearity. For large enough forcing amplitude it can reverse direction and swim backward.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/14/3/620microswimmerslinear dampingswimming efficiency |
| spellingShingle | Jean-Luc Thiffeault Moving Forward by Shaking Sideways Symmetry microswimmers linear damping swimming efficiency |
| title | Moving Forward by Shaking Sideways |
| title_full | Moving Forward by Shaking Sideways |
| title_fullStr | Moving Forward by Shaking Sideways |
| title_full_unstemmed | Moving Forward by Shaking Sideways |
| title_short | Moving Forward by Shaking Sideways |
| title_sort | moving forward by shaking sideways |
| topic | microswimmers linear damping swimming efficiency |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/14/3/620 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jeanlucthiffeault movingforwardbyshakingsideways |