918 research outputs found
Particles held by springs in a linear shear flow exhibit oscillatory motion
The dynamics of small spheres, which are held by linear springs in a low
Reynolds number shear flow at neighboring locations is investigated. The flow
elongates the beads and the interplay of the shear gradient with the nonlinear
behavior of the hydrodynamic interaction among the spheres causes in a large
range of parameters a bifurcation to a surprising oscillatory bead motion. The
parameter ranges, wherein this bifurcation is either super- or subcritical, are
determined.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure
Comparison of Conditional Average Using Threshold and Template Methods for Quasi-Periodic Phenomena in Plasmas
Brownian motion in a non-homogeneous force field and photonic force microscope
The Photonic Force Microscope (PFM) is an opto-mechanical technique based on
an optical trap that can be assumed to probe forces in microscopic systems.
This technique has been used to measure forces in the range of pico- and
femto-Newton, assessing the mechanical properties of biomolecules as well as of
other microscopic systems. For a correct use of the PFM, the force field to
measure has to be invariable (homogeneous) on the scale of the Brownian motion
of the trapped probe. This condition implicates that the force field must be
conservative, excluding the possibility of a rotational component. However,
there are cases where these assumptions are not fulfilled Here, we show how to
improve the PFM technique in order to be able to deal with these cases. We
introduce the theory of this enhanced PFM and we propose a concrete analysis
workflow to reconstruct the force field from the experimental time-series of
the probe position. Furthermore, we experimentally verify some particularly
important cases, namely the case of a conservative or rotational force-field
A Simplest Swimmer at Low Reynolds Number: Three Linked Spheres
We propose a very simple one-dimensional swimmer consisting of three spheres
that are linked by rigid rods whose lengths can change between two values. With
a periodic motion in a non-reciprocal fashion, which breaks the time-reversal
symmetry as well as the translational symmetry, we show that the model device
can swim at low Reynolds number. This model system could be used in
constructing molecular-size machines
Colloid-colloid and colloid-wall interactions in driven suspensions
We investigate the non-equilibrium fluid structure mediated forces between
two colloids driven through a suspension of mutually non-interacting Brownian
particles as well as between a colloid and a wall in stationary situations. We
solve the Smoluchowski equation in bispherical coordinates as well as with a
method of reflections, both in linear approximation for small velocities and
numerically for intermediate velocities, and we compare the results to a
superposition approximation considered previously. In particular we find an
enhancement of the friction (compared to the friction on an isolated particle)
for two colloids driven side by side as well as for a colloid traveling along a
wall. The friction on tailgating colloids is reduced. Colloids traveling side
by side experience a solute induced repulsion while tailgating colloids are
attracted to each other.Comment: 8 Pages, 8 figure
Bilinear forms on Grothendieck groups of triangulated categories
We extend the theory of bilinear forms on the Green ring of a finite group
developed by Benson and Parker to the context of the Grothendieck group of a
triangulated category with Auslander-Reiten triangles, taking only relations
given by direct sum decompositions. We examine the non-degeneracy of the
bilinear form given by dimensions of homomorphisms, and show that the form may
be modified to give a Hermitian form for which the standard basis given by
indecomposable objects has a dual basis given by Auslander-Reiten triangles. An
application is given to the homotopy category of perfect complexes over a
symmetric algebra, with a consequence analogous to a result of Erdmann and
Kerner.Comment: arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1301.470
The Effect of the Third Dimension on Rough Surfaces Formed by Sedimenting Particles in Quasi-Two-Dimensions
The roughness exponent of surfaces obtained by dispersing silica spheres into
a quasi-two-dimensional cell is examined. The cell consists of two glass plates
separated by a gap, which is comparable in size to the diameter of the beads.
Previous work has shown that the quasi-one-dimensional surfaces formed have two
distinct roughness exponents in two well-defined length scales, which have a
crossover length about 1cm. We have studied the effect of changing the gap
between the plates to a limit of about twice the diameter of the beads.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, submitted to IJMP
Microscale swimming: The molecular dynamics approach
The self-propelled motion of microscopic bodies immersed in a fluid medium is
studied using molecular dynamics simulation. The advantage of the atomistic
approach is that the detailed level of description allows complete freedom in
specifying the swimmer design and its coupling with the surrounding fluid. A
series of two-dimensional swimming bodies employing a variety of propulsion
mechanisms -- motivated by biological and microrobotic designs -- is
investigated, including the use of moving limbs, changing body shapes and fluid
jets. The swimming efficiency and the nature of the induced, time-dependent
flow fields are found to differ widely among body designs and propulsion
mechanisms.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures (minor changes to text
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