Microrheology of colloidal dispersions: Shape matters

We consider a “probe” particle translating at constant velocity through an otherwise quiescent dispersion of colloidal “bath” particles, as a model for particle-tracking microrheology experiments in the active (nonlinear) regime. The probe is a body of revolution with major and minor semiaxes a and b, respectively, and the bath particles are spheres of radii b. The probe's shape is such that when its major or minor axis is the axis of revolution the excluded-volume, or contact, surface between the probe and a bath particle is a prolate or oblate spheroid, respectively. The moving probe drives the microstructure of the dispersion out of equilibrium; counteracting this is the Brownian diffusion of the bath particles. For a prolate or oblate probe translating along its symmetry axis, we calculate the nonequilibrium microstructure to first order in the volume fraction of bath particles and over the entire range of the Péclet number (Pe), neglecting hydrodynamic interactions. Here, Pe is defined as the non-dimensional velocity of the probe. The microstructure is employed to calculate the average external force on the probe, from which one can infer a “microviscosity” of the dispersion via Stokes drag law. The microviscosity is computed as a function of the aspect ratio of the probe, â=a/b, thereby delineating the role of the probe's shape. For a prolate probe, regardless of the value of â, the microviscosity monotonically decreases, or “velocity thins,” from a Newtonian plateau at small Pe until a second Newtonian plateau is reached as Pe-->[infinity]. After appropriate scaling, we demonstrate this behavior to be in agreement with microrheology studies using spherical probes [Squires and Brady, “A simple paradigm for active and nonlinear microrheology,” Phys. Fluids 17(7), 073101 (2005)] and conventional (macro-)rheological investigations [Bergenholtz et al., “The non-Newtonian rheology of dilute colloidal suspensions,” J. Fluid. Mech. 456, 239–275 (2002)]. For an oblate probe, the microviscosity again transitions between two Newtonian plateaus: for â3.52 the microviscosity at small Pe is less than at large Pe, which suggests it “velocity thickens” as Pe is increased. This anomalous velocity thickening—due entirely to the probe shape—highlights the care needed when designing microrheology experiments with non-spherical probes

A new resistance function for two rigid spheres in a uniform compressible low-Reynolds-number flow

The pressure moment of a rigid particle is defined as the trace of the first moment of the surface stress acting on the particle. We calculate the pressure moments of two unequal rigid spheres immersed in a uniform compressible linear flow, using twin multipole expansions and lubrication theory. Following the practice established in previous studies on two-body hydrodynamic interactions at low Reynolds number, the results are expressed in terms of a new (stresslet) resistance function

On the bulk viscosity of suspensions

The bulk viscosity of a suspension relates the deviation of the trace of the macroscopic or averaged stress from its equilibrium value to the average rate of expansion. For a suspension the equilibrium macroscopic stress is the sum of the fluid pressure and the osmotic pressure of the suspended particles. An average rate of expansion drives the suspension microstructure out of equilibrium and is resisted by the thermal motion of the particles. Expressions are given to compute the bulk viscosity for all concentrations and all expansion rates and shown to be completely analogous to the well-known formulae for the deviatoric macroscopic stress, which are used, for example, to compute the shear viscosity. The effect of rigid spherical particles on the bulk viscosity is determined to second order in volume fraction and to leading order in the Péclet number, which is defined as the expansion rate made dimensionless with the Brownian time scale. A repulsive hard-sphere-like interparticle force reduces the hydrodynamic interactions between particles and decreases the bulk viscosity

Modeling hydrodynamic self-propulsion with Stokesian Dynamics. Or teaching Stokesian Dynamics to swim

We develop a general framework for modeling the hydrodynamic self-propulsion (i.e., swimming) of bodies (e.g., microorganisms) at low Reynolds number via Stokesian Dynamics simulations. The swimming body is composed of many spherical particles constrained to form an assembly that deforms via relative motion of its constituent particles. The resistance tensor describing the hydrodynamic interactions among the individual particles maps directly onto that for the assembly. Specifying a particular swimming gait and imposing the condition that the swimming body is force- and torque-free determine the propulsive speed. The body’s translational and rotational velocities computed via this methodology are identical in form to that from the classical theory for the swimming of arbitrary bodies at low Reynolds number. We illustrate the generality of the method through simulations of a wide array of swimming bodies: pushers and pullers, spinners, the Taylor=Purcell swimming toroid, Taylor’s helical swimmer, Purcell’s three-link swimmer, and an amoeba-like body undergoing large-scale deformation. An open source code is a part of the supplementary material and can be used to simulate the swimming of a body with arbitrary geometry and swimming gait

Instability of expanding bacterial droplets

Suspensions of motile bacteria or synthetic microswimmers, termed active matter, manifest a remarkable propensity for self-organization, and formation of large-scale coherent structures. Most active matter research deals with almost homogeneous in space systems and little is known about the dynamics of strongly heterogeneous active matter. Here we report on experimental and theoretical studies on the expansion of highly concentrated bacterial droplets into an ambient bacteria-free fluid. The droplet is formed beneath a rapidly rotating solid macroscopic particle inserted in the suspension. We observe vigorous instability of the droplet reminiscent of a violent explosion. The phenomenon is explained in terms of continuum first-principle theory based on the swim pressure concept. Our findings provide insights into the dynamics of active matter with strong density gradients and significantly expand the scope of experimental and analytic tools for control and manipulation of active systems

Single particle motion in colloidal dispersions: a simple model for active and nonlinear microrheology

The motion of a single Brownian probe particle subjected to a constant external body force and immersed in a dispersion of colloidal particles is studied with a view to providing a simple model for particle tracking microrheology experiments in the active and nonlinear regime. The non-equilibrium configuration of particles induced by the motion of the probe is calculated to first order in the volume fraction of colloidal particles over the entire range of Pe, accounting for hydrodynamic and excluded volume interactions between the probe and dispersion particles. Here, Pe is the dimensionless external force on the probe, or Péclet number, and is a characteristic measure of the degree to which the equilibrium microstructure of the dispersion is distorted. For small Pe, the microstructure (in a reference frame moving with the probe) is primarily dictated by Brownian diffusion and is approximately fore–aft symmetric about the direction of the external force. In the large Pe limit, advection is dominant except in a thin boundary layer in the compressive region of the flow where it is balanced by Brownian diffusion, leading to a highly non-equilibrium microstructure. The computed microstructure is employed to calculate the average translational velocity of the probe, from which the ‘microviscosity’ of the dispersion may be inferred via application of Stokes drag law. For small departures from equilibrium (Pe), the microviscosity ‘force-thins’ proportional to $\hbox{\it Pe}^2$ from its Newtonian low-force plateau. For particles with long-range excluded volume interactions, force-thinning persists until a terminal Newtonian plateau is reached in the limit $\hbox{\it Pe}\,{\rightarrow}\,\infty$. In the case of particles with very short-range excluded volume interactions, the force-thinning ceases at $\hbox{\it Pe}\,{\sim}\, O(1)$, at which point the microviscosity attains a minimum value. Beyond $\hbox{\it Pe}\,{\sim}\, O(1)$, the microstructural boundary layer coincides with the lubrication range of hydrodynamic interactions causing the microviscosity to enter a continuous ‘force-thickening’ regime. The qualitative picture of the microviscosity variation with Pe is in good agreement with theoretical and computational investigations on the ‘macroviscosity’ of sheared colloidal dispersions, and, after appropriate scaling, we are able to make a direct quantitative comparison. This suggests that active tracking microrheology is a valuable tool with which to explore the rich nonlinear rheology of complex fluids

Refining the Global Spatial Limits of Dengue Virus Transmission by Evidence-Based Consensus

Background: Dengue is a growing problem both in its geographical spread and in its intensity, and yet current global distribution remains highly uncertain. Challenges in diagnosis and diagnostic methods as well as highly variable national health systems mean no single data source can reliably estimate the distribution of this disease. As such, there is a lack of agreement on national dengue status among international health organisations. Here we bring together all available information on dengue occurrence using a novel approach to produce an evidence consensus map of the disease range that highlights nations with an uncertain dengue status. Methods/Principle Findings: A baseline methodology was used to assess a range of evidence for each country. In regions where dengue status was uncertain, additional evidence types were included to either clarify dengue status or confirm that it is unknown at this time. An algorithm was developed that assesses evidence quality and consistency, giving each country an evidence consensus score. Using this approach, we were able to generate a contemporary global map of national-level dengue status that assigns a relative measure of certainty and identifies gaps in the available evidence