Influence of thermal fluctuations on active diffusion at large Péclet numbers

What is it about?

Fluid flows generated by swimming microorganisms increase the diffusion of passive particles suspended in the liquid. In this work we use simulations to demonstrate that even a small amount of thermal motion can have a significant effect, especially by reorienting the swimmer and causing the passive particle to cross stream lines in the fluid flow field.

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Why is it important?

It is often assumed that thermal motion is small enough to neglect in microswimmer systems. By identifying mechanisms through which small amounts of thermal motion can have a significant effect on the passive particle's motion, we better understand the behaviour observed in these complex systems.