Inertia-driven propulsion of asymmetric spinner-dimers at moderate Reynolds numbers

TL;DR

This study demonstrates how inertia-driven rotational motion in asymmetric colloidal dimers at moderate Reynolds numbers can produce controllable translational propulsion, enabling applications in targeted cargo delivery and micro-robotics.

Contribution

It reveals the role of inertia in generating propulsion from rotational motion in asymmetric colloidal systems, with tunable direction and cargo transport capabilities.

Findings

Propulsion direction can be reversed by tuning aspect ratio and Reynolds number.

A passive cargo can be transported by a rotating spinner due to flow symmetry breaking.

Inertia enables rotational motion to produce net translational movement.

Abstract

We investigate the translational motion of rotating colloidal systems at moderate Reynolds numbers (Re), focusing on particle dimers in snowman-like configurations under three scenarios: (i) two co-rotating spheres driven by an external field, (ii) two counter-rotating spheres driven by an internal torque as a swimmer, and (iii) a single rotating spinner with a passive sphere for cargo delivery, using hydrodynamic simulations. In all the three cases, the particles are bound together hydrodynamically, and the purely rotational motion of the spinners produces a net propulsion of the dimers along the axis of rotation due to a symmetry breaking. We demonstrate tunable dynamics, where the propulsion direction of the co-rotating dimer can be reversed by tuning the aspect ratio and Reynolds number, as well as cargo transport where a dimer consisting of a single spinner and a passive cargo particle can have a sustained locomotion due to broken head-to-tail symmetry of the overall flow fields. These findings highlight the critical role of inertia in creating locomotion from rotational motion and offer new avenues for controlling and optimizing translational motion in colloidal assemblies through rotational degrees of freedom.