My dissertation has been published by the university:
Lattice Boltzmann methods for microswimmers in complex environments
Michael Kuron
PhD thesis, Universität Stuttgart
DOI: 10.18419/opus-11926
Printed copies are available at the university library and at the national library in Frankfurt and Leipzig. I also have a few spare ones, so if you think you really need one, let me know. The SHA1 hash of the PDF file I submitted to the library is 45f8b26dc10c04a5221d79fa3a2c42478a2b89b6, which matches the file available online as of today.
Abstract
This dissertation introduces, validates, and applies various models for the study of microswimmers, predominantly focusing on the development of lattice algorithms. The models are applicable to biological swimmers like bacteria, but also to artificial ones propelled via chemical reactions. The unifying theme is a complex fluidic environment, ranging from Newtonian single-component fluids, to electrolyte solutions, to viscoelastic media flowing through arbitrary geometries. A particular focus is placed on resolving each swimmer’s surface since the propulsion, or phoresis, originates from a small layer of fluid around it. Resolving the propulsion mechanism is necessary to accurately study hydrodynamic interactions with obstacles and other swimmers. It is also a prerequisite for the study of taxis, that is, alignment with an external field such as a nutrient gradient. Similarly, phoretic interactions can be investigated, like when a swimmer senses and avoids the trail where another swimmer has already depleted the fuel.
Update January 2024
Here is an updated PDF with all the preprint citations replaced with the published versions. This should make it easier to find all references via the DOI system.