ICS-3 Seminar: Dr. Agnieszka SlowickaInstitute of Fundamental Technological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences

Migration of flexible fibers entrained by Poiseuille flow in a microchannel

Migration of flexible fibers in Poiseuille flow is a fundamental problem of modern lab-on-chip hydrodynamics, important in various biological, medical and industrial contexts and analyzed theoretically, numerically and experimentally in numerous publications. In this work, we investigate the non-Brownian dynamics of flexible fibers, following from the Stokes equations. We apply the bead model and the accurate numerical code HYDROMULTIPOLE. We find out that the migration process is characterized by a critical distance from the wall where fibers tend to accumulate. Position of the accumulation plane depends on the fiber aspect ratio N and the ratio A of the fiber stiffness to the viscous flow effects. The results can be used for segregation of fibers.