Hydrodynamic effects on active colloidal suspensions

The goal of this thesis is studying hydrodynamic effects on active colloidal suspensions. Hydrodynamic interaction is propagated through the fluid in which the colloids displace due to the flow they create during their motion. It can lead to the emergence of collective phenomena, such as the self-as...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor: Navarro Argemí, Eloy
Tipo de recurso: tesis doctoral
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2018
País:España
Institución:CBUC, CESCA
Repositorio:TDR. Tesis Doctorales en Red
OAI Identifier:oai:www.tdx.cat:10803/665006
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10803/665006
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Física estadística
Statistical physhics
Matèria tova
Materia condensada blanda
Soft condensed matter
Col·loides
Coloides
Colloids
Ciències Experimentals i Matemàtiques
538.9
Descripción
Sumario:The goal of this thesis is studying hydrodynamic effects on active colloidal suspensions. Hydrodynamic interaction is propagated through the fluid in which the colloids displace due to the flow they create during their motion. It can lead to the emergence of collective phenomena, such as the self-assembly of more complex structures. Hydrodynamic interactions are not the only present in the system, since other forces may be acting between colloids, or there can be external fields acting on them such as gravity. We present our study for two different systems: magnetic colloids and Janus particles. When applying a circular magnetic field, we can induce a rotation to a particle possessing a magnetic moment. Due to the coupling of the flow with the one created by surrounding particles and with system interfaces, a rotor will eventually self-propel. Two magnetic moments interact with each other through the magnetic dipole-dipole force, which tends to align them into arrays. We study how the balance between hydrodynamic, magnetic and gravitational forces determines the morphology of the structures magnetic colloids can form. Janus particles have two faces with different chemical properties, thus the interaction between them depends on their relative orientation. We study the morphology and order of the structures that can emerge for these particles as a function of the intensity, sign and reach of the interaction between them, as well as the type of flow they create when self-propelling. Methodologically, we have combined the use of far-field theory to draw analytical expressions that have given us qualitative insight on the results we could expect with high-performance computing simulations which have allowed us to extend our study to bigger systems.