Modulating drift dynamics of circle swimmers by periodic potentials

We propose a method to modulate the drifting motion of overdamped circle swimmers in steady fluid flows by means of static sinusoidal potentials. Using Langevin formalism, we study drift velocity as a function of potential strength and wavelength with and without diffusional motion. Drift velocity is essentially quantized without diffusion, but in the presence of noise, the displacement per cycle has a continuous range. As a function of dimensionless potential wave number, domains of damped oscillatory and plateau regimes are observed in the drift velocity diagram. At weak potential and fluid velocity less than powered velocity, there is also a regime where drift velocity exceeds the fluid velocity. Methods based on these results can be used to separate biological and artificial circle swimmers based on their dynamical properties.

Automated summary

We proposed a method to modulate the drifting motion of overdamped circle swimmers in steady fluid flows by static sinusoidal potentials, and quantified the drift velocity as a function of potential strength and wavelength with and without diffusional motion. The results show that drift velocity is essentially quantized without diffusion but has a continuous range with noise, and different regimes can be observed based on the dimensionless potential wave number in the drift velocity diagram. This method can help differentiate biological and artificial circle swimmers based on their dynamical properties.