Dresden 2026 – scientific programme
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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 1: Active Matter I (joint session BP/CPP/DY)
BP 1.5: Talk
Monday, March 9, 2026, 10:30–10:45, BAR/SCHÖ
Squirmer dynamics in porous environments — •Mirko Residori1, Christina Kurzthaler1, and Sebastian Aland2 — 1Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems — 2TU Freiberg
We introduce a computational framework for simulating the dynamics of micro-swimmers in complex porous environments. Specifically, we adopt a diffusive domain approach to represent the surface of a micro-swimmer, modeled as a squirmer. This method ensures accurate and stable finite-element simulations, even in highly confined geometries. Validation against analytical and numerical benchmarks confirms the model*s accuracy and robustness. We then apply it to explore squirmer motion in heterogeneous porous media, revealing how hydrodynamic interactions lead to behaviors such as dynamic trapping due to hydro-dynamically induced re-orientations. Moreover, we demonstrate that the squirmer parameter and the repulsive potential critically influence a squirmer's ability to navigate and escape confinement. The proposed framework offers a versatile and efficient tool for studying active motion in complex fluids and provides new insights into micro-swimmer transport and control in natural and engineered systems.
Keywords: squirmer; micro-swimmer; porous media; finite-element; diffusive domain