Scallop Theorem and Swimming at the Mesoscale
Maxime Hubert, Oleg Trosman, Ylona Collard, Alexander Sukhov, Jens Harting, Nicolas Vandewalle, Ana‐Sunčana Smith
Abstract
By comparing theoretical modeling, simulations, and experiments, we show that there exists a swimming regime at low Reynolds numbers solely driven by the inertia of the swimmer itself. This is demonstrated by considering a dumbbell with an asymmetry in coasting time in its two spheres. Despite deforming in a reciprocal fashion, the dumbbell swims by generating a nonreciprocal Stokesian flow, which arises from the asymmetry in coasting times. This asymmetry acts as a second degree of freedom, which allows the scallop theorem to be fulfilled at the mesoscopic scale.
Topics & Concepts
Mesoscopic physicsInertiaPhysicsClassical mechanicsReciprocalDumbbellMesoscale meteorologyAsymmetryMechanicsFlow (mathematics)Fluid dynamicsBallooningMeteorologyPlasmaQuantum mechanicsTokamakPhilosophyPhysical therapyLinguisticsMedicineMicro and Nano RoboticsLattice Boltzmann Simulation StudiesAdvanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics