Hydrodynamics of an odd active surfer in a chiral fluid

Abstract

We theoretically and computationally study the low-Reynolds-number hydrodynamics of a linear active microswimmer surfing on a compressible thin fluid layer characterized by an odd viscosity. Since the underlying three-dimensional fluid is assumed to be very thin compared to any lateral size of the fluid layer, the model is effectively two-dimensional. In the limit of small odd viscosity compared to the even viscosities of the fluid layer, we obtain analytical expressions for the self-induced flow field, which includes non-reciprocal components due to the odd viscosity. On this basis, we fully analyze the behavior of a single linear swimmer, finding that it follows a circular path, the radius of which is, to leading order, inversely proportional to the magnitude of the odd viscosity. In addition, we show that a pair of swimmers exhibits a wealth of two-body dynamics that depends on the initial relative orientation angles as well as on the propulsion mechanism adopted by each swimmer. In particular, the pusher-pusher and pusher-puller-type swimmer pairs exhibit a generic spiral motion, while the puller-puller pair is found to either co-rotate in the steady state along a circular trajectory or exhibit a more complex chaotic behavior resulting from the interplay between hydrodynamic and steric interactions. Our theoretical predictions may pave the way toward a better understanding of active transport in active chiral fluids with odd viscosity, and may find potential applications in the quantitative microrheological characterization of odd-viscous fluids.

21 pages, 8 figures

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Cited by in corpus (11)

• Lorentz Reciprocal Theorem in Fluids with Odd Viscosity
• Probe particles in odd active viscoelastic fluids: how activity and dissipation determine linear stability
• Chirotactic response of microswimmers in fluids with odd viscosity
• Analytical solution for the hydrodynamic resistance of a disk in a compressible fluid layer with odd viscosity on a rigid substrate
• Slip-induced odd viscous flow past a cylinder
• Chiral active systems near a substrate: Emergent damping length controlled by fluid friction
• Odd viscous flow past a sphere at low but nonzero Reynolds numbers
• The effect of axisymmetric confinement on propulsion of a three-sphere microswimmer
• Hydrodynamic flow field and frictional resistance coefficient of a disk rotating steadily in a compressible fluid layer with odd viscosity on a rigid substrate
• Hydrodynamics of a disk in a thin film of weakly nematic fluid subject to linear friction
• Asymptotic limits of the axisymmetric solution of the Brinkman equation for a point force near a no-slip wall