Emergence of upstream swimming via a hydrodynamic transition

Phys Rev Lett. 2015 Mar 13;114(10):108102. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.108102. Epub 2015 Mar 13.

Abstract

We demonstrate that upstream swimming of sperm emerges via an orientation disorder-order transition. The order parameter, the average orientation of the sperm head against the flow, follows a 0.5 power law with the deviation from the critical flow shear rate (γ-γ_{c}). This transition is successfully explained by a hydrodynamic bifurcation theory, which extends the sperm upstream swimming to a broad class of near surface microswimmers that possess front-back asymmetry and circular motion.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cattle
  • Hydrodynamics
  • Male
  • Microfluidic Analytical Techniques
  • Models, Biological*
  • Spermatozoa / physiology*
  • Swimming / physiology*