Phototactic bioconvection under oblique collimated irradiation in a forward scattering suspension

TL;DR

This study numerically investigates how oblique collimated light influences the onset of bioconvection in a suspension of phototactic microorganisms, considering light absorption and scattering effects on flow dynamics.

Contribution

It introduces a numerical model analyzing bioconvection under oblique collimated light with absorption and scattering by microorganisms, a novel aspect in phototactic bioconvection studies.

Findings

Onset of bioconvection depends on light angle and scattering properties.

Absorption and scattering significantly influence flow patterns.

Results provide insights into microorganism navigation under complex lighting.

Abstract

Phototaxis, the process by which living organisms navigate toward optimal light conditions, is essential for motile photosynthetic microorganisms. Positive(negative) phototaxis denotes the motion directed towards(away from) the source of illumination. The main objective of this study is the numerical investigation of onset of bioconvection in a suspension of phototactic microorganisms illuminated by oblique collimated irradiation at the top. In this suspension, the algal cells absorb and anisotropically scatter incident light which influences the flow dynamics of the cells.