0000000000810574
AUTHOR
Fabian R. Koessel
Controlling stability and transport of magnetic microswimmers by an external field
We investigate the hydrodynamic stability and transport of magnetic microswimmers in an external field using a kinetic theory framework. Combining linear stability analysis and nonlinear 3D continuum simulations, we show that for sufficiently large activity and magnetic field strengths, a homogeneous polar steady state is unstable for both puller and pusher swimmers. This instability is caused by the amplification of anisotropic hydrodynamic interactions due to the external alignment and leads to a partial depolarization and a reduction of the average transport speed of the swimmers in the field direction. Notably, at higher field strengths a reentrant hydrodynamic stability emerges where t…
Emergent pattern formation of active magnetic suspensions in an external field
We study collective self-organization of weakly magnetic active suspensions in a uniform external field by analyzing a mesoscopic continuum model that we have recently developed. Our model is based on a Smoluchowski equation for a particle probability density function in an alignment field coupled to a mean-field description of the flow arising from the activity and the alignment torque. Performing linear stability analysis of the Smoluchowski equation and the resulting orientational moment equations combined with non-linear 3D simulations, we provide a comprehensive picture of instability patterns as a function of strengths of activity and magnetic field. For sufficiently high activity and…