Self-propelled worm-like filaments: spontaneous spiral formation, structure, and dynamicsI

Isele-Holder, Rolf; Elgeti, Jens; Gompper, Gerhard

doi:10.1039/C5SM01683E

Journal Article

FZJ-2015-06196

Self-propelled worm-like filaments: spontaneous spiral formation, structure, and dynamicsI

Isele-Holder, R.FZJ* ; Elgeti, J.FZJ* ; Gompper, G.FZJ*

2015
Royal Soc. of Chemistry London

Soft matter 11(36), 7181 - 7190 (2015) [10.1039/C5SM01683E]

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Please use a persistent id in citations: http://hdl.handle.net/2128/22831 doi:10.1039/C5SM01683E

Abstract: Worm-like filaments that are propelled homogeneously along their tangent vector are studied by Brownian dynamics simulations. Systems in two dimensions are investigated, corresponding to filaments adsorbed to interfaces or surfaces. A large parameter space covering weak and strong propulsion, as well as flexible and stiff filaments is explored. For strongly propelled and flexible filaments, the free-swimming filaments spontaneously form stable spirals. The propulsion force has a strong impact on dynamic properties, such as the rotational and translational mean square displacement and the rate of conformational sampling. In particular, when the active self-propulsion dominates thermal diffusion, but is too weak for spiral formation, the rotational diffusion coefficient has an activity-induced contribution given by vc/ξP, where vc is the contour velocity and ξP the persistence length. In contrast, structural properties are hardly affected by the activity of the system, as long as no spirals form. The model mimics common features of biological systems, such as microtubules and actin filaments on motility assays or slender bacteria, and artificially designed microswimmers.

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