Abstract
High-resolution optical coherence tomography is used to study the onset of a large-scale convective motion in free-standing thin films of adjustable thickness containing suspensions of swimming aerobic bacteria. Clear evidence is found that beyond a threshold film thickness there exists a transition from quasi-two-dimensional collective swimming to three-dimensional turbulent behavior. The latter state, qualitatively different from bioconvection in dilute bacterial suspensions, is characterized by enhanced diffusivities of oxygen and bacteria. These results emphasize the impact of self-organized bacterial locomotion on the onset of three-dimensional dynamics, and suggest key ingredients necessary to extend standard models of bioconvection to incorporate effects of large-scale collective motion.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 031903 |
Journal | Physical Review E - Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics |
Volume | 80 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 10 2009 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Statistical and Nonlinear Physics
- Statistics and Probability
- Condensed Matter Physics