Emergence of metachronal waves in a chain of symmetrically beating filaments

TL;DR

This study uses a coupled elastohydrodynamic model to explain how misalignment in symmetrically beating filaments leads to the emergence of metachronal waves, which improve fluid circulation and efficiency.

Contribution

It introduces a novel elastohydrodynamic model showing how tilt-induced misalignment causes metachronal waves in active filament chains.

Findings

Misalignment disrupts synchronization and causes time lag between filaments.

Metachronal waves enhance fluid circulation.

Maximum efficiency occurs at specific tilt angles.

Abstract

Recent experiments have shown that metachronal waves (MCWs) can emerge from a chain of symmetrically beating nematodes aligned at the edge of sessile droplets. Our study, employing a coupled elastohydrodynamic model of active filaments, elucidates that a misalignment caused by a tilt against the bounding wall disrupts the synchronization and generates a constant time lag between adjacent filaments, giving rise to MCWs. The MCWs, enhancing the fluid circulation, achieve their maximum thermodynamic efficiency over the same range of tilt angles observed in the nematode experiments.