2013/04/10 by Rachel R. Bennett, Ramin Golestanian · 1 citation
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Computer Science · Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics #Artificial intelligence #Beat (acoustics) #Biology #Chlamydomonas #Classical mechanics #Computer science #Control theory (sociology) #Forcing (mathematics) #Geometry #Mathematics #Micro and Nano Robotics #Nonlinear Dynamics and Pattern Formation #Optics #Parameter space #Phase (matter) #Phase space #Physics #Quantum mechanics #Statistical physics #Synchronization (alternating current) #Topology (electrical circuits) #cond-mat.soft #physics.bio-ph #physics.flu-dyn #q-bio.CB
paper · pdf · doi:10.1088/1367-2630/15/7/075028
published as New. J. Phys. 15, 075028 (2013) · 17 pages, 10 composite figures (made of 32 separate files)
arxiv created 2013/04/10 · openalex publication_date 2013/07/30 · arxiv updated 2015/06/15 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
The green alga Chlamydomonas swims with synchronized beating of its two flagella, and is experimentally observed to exhibit run-and-tumble behaviour similar to bacteria. Recently, we studied a simple hydrodynamic three-sphere model of Chlamydomonas with a phase-dependent driving force that can produce run-and-tumble behaviour when intrinsic noise is added, due to the nonlinear mechanics of the system. Here, we consider the noiseless case and explore numerically the parameter space in the driving force profiles, which determine whether or not the synchronized state evolves from a given initial condition, as well as the stability of the synchronized state. We find that phase-dependent forcing, or a beat pattern, is necessary for stable synchronization in the geometry we work with. The phase-dependent forcing allows this simple model of Chlamydomonas to produce a rich variety of behaviours.