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A reciprocal theorem for Marangoni propulsion

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2014

Hassan Masoud  and
Howard A. Stone
Hassan Masoud*
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA Applied Mathematics Laboratory, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, NY 10012, USA
Howard A. Stone
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
*
†Email address for correspondence: hmasoud@princeton.edu
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Abstract

We study the Marangoni propulsion of a spheroidal particle located at a liquid–gas interface. The particle asymmetrically releases an insoluble surface-active agent and so creates and maintains a surface tension gradient leading to the self-propulsion. Assuming that the surface tension has a linear dependence on the concentration of the released agent, we derive closed-form expressions for the translational speed of the particle in the limit of small capillary, Péclet and Reynolds numbers. Our derivations are based on the Lorentz reciprocal theorem, which eliminates the need to develop the detailed flow field.

JFM classification

Interfacial Flows (free surface): Interfacial Flows (free surface) Low-Reynolds-number flows: Low-Reynolds-number flows Biological Fluid Dynamics: Propulsion
Type
Rapids
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 741 , 25 February 2014 , R4
Copyright
© 2014 Cambridge University Press 

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