Turbulent fluid acceleration generates clusters of gyrotactic microorganisms

The motility of microorganisms is often biased by gradients in physical and chemical properties of their environment, with myriad implications on their ecology. Here we show that fluid acceleration reorients gyrotactic plankton, triggering small-scale clustering. We experimentally demonstrate this phenomenon by studying the distribution of the phytoplankton Chlamydomonas augustae within a rotating tank and find it to be in good agreement with a new, generalized model of gyrotaxis. When this model is implemented in a direct numerical simulation of turbulent flow, we find that fluid acceleration generates multi-fractal plankton clustering, with faster and more stable cells producing stronger clustering. By producing accumulations in high-vorticity regions, this process is fundamen- tally different from clustering by gravitational acceleration, expanding the range of mechanisms by which turbulent flows can impact the spatial distribution of active suspensions.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Gyrotactic phytoplankton in laminar and turbulent flows: a dynamical systems approach

Gyrotactic algae are bottom heavy, motile cells whose swimming direction is determined by a balance between a buoyancy torque directing them upwards and fluid velocity gradients. Gyrotaxis has, in recent years, become a paradigmatic model for phytoplankton motility in flows. The essential attractiveness of this peculiar form of motility is the availability of a mechanistic description which, despite its simplicity, revealed predictive, rich in phenomenology, easily complemented to include the effects of shape, feed-back on the fluid and stochasticity (e.g. in cell orientation). In this review we consider recent theoretical, numerical and experimental results to discuss how, depending on flow properties, gyrotaxis can produce inhomogeneous phytoplankton distributions on a wide range of scales, from millimeters to kilometers, in both laminar and turbulent flows. In particular, we focus on the phenomenon of gyrotactic trapping in nonlinear shear flows and in fractal clustering in turbulent flows. We shall demonstrate the usefulness of ideas and tools borrowed from dynamical systems theory in explaining and interpreting these phenomena

Galaxy alignments: An overview

The alignments between galaxies, their underlying matter structures, and the cosmic web constitute vital ingredients for a comprehensive understanding of gravity, the nature of matter, and structure formation in the Universe. We provide an overview on the state of the art in the study of these alignment processes and their observational signatures, aimed at a non-specialist audience. The development of the field over the past one hundred years is briefly reviewed. We also discuss the impact of galaxy alignments on measurements of weak gravitational lensing, and discuss avenues for making theoretical and observational progress over the coming decade.Comment: 43 pages excl. references, 16 figures; minor changes to match version published in Space Science Reviews; part of a topical volume on galaxy alignments, with companion papers at arXiv:1504.05546 and arXiv:1504.0546

The 'Cheerios effect'

Objects that float at the interface between a liquid and a gas interact because of interfacial deformation and the effect of gravity. We highlight the crucial role of buoyancy in this interaction, which, for small particles, prevails over the capillary suction that is often assumed to be the dominant effect. We emphasize this point using a simple classroom demonstration, and then derive the physical conditions leading to mutual attraction or repulsion. We also quantify the force of interaction in some particular instances and present a simple dynamical model of this interaction. The results obtained from this model are then validated by comparison to experimental results for the mutual attraction of two identical spherical particles. We conclude by looking at some of the applications of the effect that can be found in the natural and manmade worlds.Comment: 10 pages, 12 figures. (Typos in eqs 7 and 8 corrected