Lord Kelvin's isotropic helicoid
Darci Collins, Rami J. Hamati, Fabien Candelier, Kristian Gustavsson, Bernhard Mehlig, Greg A. Voth
Abstract
Can a propeller be isotropic? Nearly 150 years ago, Lord Kelvin proposed the isotropic helicoid, but there are no published measurements on his particle. We 3D-printed his particle and unexpectedly found no measurable translation-rotation coupling. We explain these results by demonstrating theoretically and computationally that Kelvin's proposed coupling exists, but it is small since it is only due to a weak breaking of a symmetry of non-interacting vanes in Stokes flow.
Topics & Concepts
IsotropyHelicoidPhysicsCoupling (piping)PropellerClassical mechanicsParticle (ecology)Symmetry (geometry)Symmetry breakingGeometryReflection symmetryCondensed matter physicsMicro and Nano RoboticsQuantum chaos and dynamical systemsExperimental and Theoretical Physics Studies