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Intermediate filaments are cytoskeletal proteins with higher tensile strength and flexibility than microfilaments and microtubules. Unlike the other two cytoskeletal proteins, intermediate filament formation lacks the enzymatic activity to hydrolyze nucleotides like ATP and GTP to generate energy for polymerization. Therefore, the formation of intermediate filaments is multistep self-assembly. The involvement of any accessory proteins in intermediate filament formation has not yet been...
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Flow-mediated interactions between two self-propelled flapping filaments in tandem configuration.

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Active swimmers can spontaneously form stable aggregates by synchronizing their motion with vortex centers. This grouping is energetically favorable due to the interplay of self-propulsion and the fluid

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Area of Science:

  • Fluid dynamics
  • Active matter physics
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Understanding aggregate formation in active swimmers is crucial for fields like microfluidics and biological systems.
  • The role of hydrodynamic interactions in collective behavior remains an active area of research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanism of stable aggregate formation in tandem self-propelled filaments.
  • To elucidate the energetic principles governing the collective behavior of active swimmers.

Main Methods:

  • Simulations of two tandem self-propelled filaments driven by harmonic plunging motions.
  • Analysis of trajectory locking onto vortex centers.
  • Investigation of grouping energetics based on wake vortex structure.

Main Results:

  • Stable configurations are spontaneously formed by filaments locking onto vortex centers.
  • Grouping energetics are dictated by the wake vortex structure.
  • An energetic advantage for the follower filament arises from the interplay of actuation, self-propulsion, and the vortical fluid environment.

Conclusions:

  • Hydrodynamic interactions, specifically vortex dynamics, are key to spontaneous aggregate formation in active swimmers.
  • The collective behavior and energetic advantages are fundamentally linked to the fluid environment and self-propulsion mechanisms.