Synchronized motion of a mobile boundary driven by a camphor fragment

The synchronized self-motion of a camphor fragment and a mobile boundary on a water surface depending on the initial conditions and the asymmetry of the boundary was investigated. When a camphor fragment, which showed unidirectional rotation, was surrounded by a circular ring as a symmetric mobile boundary on a water surface, the circular ring also rotated but in the direction opposite to that of the camphor fragment. The velocity of the rotation of the mobile ring varied depending on the anisotropy of the shape of the ring. When a camphor fragment was placed on the inside of a circular ring floating on the water surface, the ring and camphor fragment exhibited translational motion without rotation. These characteristics of synchronized self-motion are discussed in relation to the surface tension as the driving force and convective flow due to the gradient of the surface-active camphor layer. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.