Shape matters: Homogenization for a confined Brownian microswimmer
Shape matters: Homogenization for a confined Brownian microswimmer
Please note that this seminar will take place online via Zoom. You can connect to this seminar via the following link:
We consider a simple model of a two-dimensional microswimmer with fixed swimming speed.听The direction of swimming changes according to a Brownian process, and the swimmer interacts with solid boundaries.The shape of the swimmer determines the range of allowable values that its degrees of freedom can assume --- its configuration space.听Using natural assumptions about reflection of the swimmer at boundaries,听we compute the swimmer's invariant distribution across a channel consisting of two parallel walls.听We then solve the mean reversal time problem, which is the expected time taken for the swimmer to completely reverse direction in the channel.听A homogenization theory approach then connects the mean reversal time to the effective diffusion constant of the swimmer's large scale motion.
This is joint work with Hongfei Chen.