Modeling complex particle suspensions: perspectives on the rigid multiblob method

TL;DR

This paper reviews the rigid multiblob method for modeling complex particle suspensions, effectively capturing multiscale hydrodynamic and non-hydrodynamic interactions in diverse physical systems.

Contribution

It introduces recent advancements in the rigid multiblob framework for simulating suspensions of arbitrarily shaped particles with controllable accuracy.

Findings

Demonstrates the method's effectiveness in simulating microswimmers.

Shows versatility in modeling complex colloidal suspensions.

Highlights numerical developments enabling large-scale simulations.

Abstract

Many suspensions contain particles with complex shapes that are affected not only by hydrodynamics, but also by thermal fluctuations, internal kinematic constraints and other long-range non-hydrodynamic interactions. Modeling these systems represents a significant numerical challenge due to the interplay between different effects and the need to accurately capture multiscale phenomena. In this article we review recent developments to model large suspensions of particles of arbitrary shapes and multiple couplings with controllable accuracy within the rigid multiblob framework. We discuss the governing equations, highlight key numerical developments, and illustrate applications ranging from microswimmers to complex colloidal suspensions. This review illustrates the effectiveness and versatility of the rigid multiblob method in tackling a wide range of physical problems in fluid mechanics, soft matter physics, biophysics, materials and colloidal science.