Self-propelled rods near surfaces

We study the behavior of self-propelled nano- and micro-rods in three dimensions, confined between two parallel walls, by simulations and scaling arguments. Our simulations include thermal fluctuations and hydrodynamic interactions, which are both relevant for the dynamical behavior at nano- to micro-meter length scales. In order to investigate the importance of hydrodynamic interactions, we also perform Brownian-dynamics–like simulations. In both cases, we find that self-propelled rods display a strong surface excess in confined geometries. An analogy with semi-flexible polymers is employed to derive scaling laws for the dependence on the wall distance, the rod length, and the propulsive force. The simulation data confirm the scaling predictions.

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