Computation of drag and diffusion coefficient for coronavirus: I.

Area of Science:

• Computational physics
• Biophysics
• Fluid dynamics

Background:

• Accurate calculation of drag and diffusion coefficients is crucial for understanding particle behavior in fluids.
• Virus mimetic particles require specialized computational approaches due to their complex morphology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present flexible and efficient computational methods for determining drag and diffusion coefficients of virus mimetic particles.
• To bridge the gap between free-molecular and continuum flow regimes for particle transport calculations.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Monte Carlo simulations for drag computation in the free-molecular regime.
• Employed boundary integral equation techniques to solve the Stokes equation in the hydrodynamic limit.
• Developed an approximation for drag across the full range of Knudsen numbers.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated efficient computation of drag and diffusion coefficients for virus mimetic particles.
• Established a comprehensive drag approximation valid for various flow regimes.
• Provided a foundation for advanced modeling of viral transport and separation.

Conclusions:

• The developed computational methods offer a flexible and efficient approach for analyzing virus mimetic particles.
• This work facilitates improved modeling of viral transport in air and fluids.
• The findings support advancements in viral morphology measurements and electrospray-differential mobility analyzers (ES-DMA) for viral separations.