Young Researchers Workshop: Ki-Net 2012-2019

Collective swimming through obstacles

Angelika Manhart

University College London

Agent-based and Partial differential equation (PDE) based modeling are powerful methods to understand self-organization. We combine these methods to capture the collective dynamics of swimmers moving through tethered obstacles. A focus are the density patterns created through the non-local pushing forces between the swimmers and the obstacles. We start with a stochastic, agent-based model of both swimmers and obstacles. Then we systematically derive a PDE-based description using a specialized coarse-graining method and appropriate limits. The resulting system captures the obstacle-swimmer interactions and I will show some analytical results as well as simulations. Finally I will also comment on how to perform a similar program including interactions with a fluid of both the swimmers and the obstacles.