Numerical study of microorganisms swimming near a convex wall in a Giesekus fluid.

Abstract

The motion of microorganisms in complex fluids stands out as a prominent subject within fluid mechanics. In our study, we utilize the fictitious domain method to investigate the locomotion of squirmers along a convex wall in Giesekus viscoelastic fluids. This study examines the influence of fluid elasticity and wall curvature on squirmer particles, analyzing their movement patterns in detail. Near the convex wall, three distinct behavioral characteristics emerge: scattering, orbiting forward, and orbiting backward. The findings reveal that, compared with Newtonian fluids, squirmers exhibit a stronger tendency to be attracted toward the wall in viscoelastic fluids. This behavior is attributed to the elastic stress of the fluid, which generates a reverse torque on microbial particles, altering their movement direction and hindering their escape from the wall. Notably, as the wall curvature decreases, the likelihood of particles escaping diminishes.