Microorganism billiards in closed plane curves

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Microbiology
• Fluid Dynamics

Background:

• Microorganisms detach from surfaces at a consistent angle.
• This angle is governed by steric interactions and near-field hydrodynamics.
• The departure angle is independent of the incoming angle.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze aspecular billiard systems created by microorganism detachment.
• To investigate the behavior of these systems using numerical simulations and theoretical models.
• To compare findings with existing billiard systems in the literature.

Main Methods:

• Numerical simulation of aspecular billiards with varying table shapes and outgoing angles.
• Application of one-dimensional maps and wavefront dynamics theory.
• Comparison with ellipse, Bunimovich, and Sinai billiard systems.

Main Results:

• Aspecular billiards demonstrate unique dynamics due to fixed outgoing angles.
• Simulations reveal system behavior across different configurations.
• The study discusses the impact of a noisy outgoing angle on system dynamics.

Conclusions:

• The fixed departure angle of microorganisms leads to predictable, aspecular billiard dynamics.
• Numerical and theoretical analyses provide insights into these systems.
• This research contributes to understanding complex dynamical systems influenced by biological interactions.