Microbiorobotics

Chapter 9

Flexible Magnetic Microswimmers

Remy Dreyfus

Physics Department, New York University, New York, NY, USA

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Swimming at low Reynolds number

9.2.1 Examples of natural swimmers

9.2.2 Hydrodynamics of swimming at low Reynolds number

9.2.3 Hydrodynamics and flexible filaments

9.2.4 Some theoretical swimmers

9.2.5 Conclusion

9.3 Flexible magnetic filaments

9.3.1 Introduction

9.3.2 Chain fabrication

9.3.3 Observation of chain flexibility

9.3.4 Filaments under a magnetic field: General equations

9.3.5 Flexible magnetic chains and static field

9.3.6 Flexible magnetic chains and oscillating field

9.4 Colloidal swimmers

9.4.1 Introduction

9.4.2 Non-reversibility of the motion

9.4.3 Breaking the symmetry: The defect swimmer