Molecular dynamics studies of swimming at the microscopic scale Original Research Article

The motion of two- and three-dimensional self-propelled microscopic bodies immersed in a fluid medium is studied using molecular dynamics simulation. The advantage of the atomistic approach is that the detailed level of description allows complete freedom in specifying the swimmer design and its coupling with the surrounding fluid. A series of swimmers employing a variety of propulsion mechanisms motivated by biological and microrobotic designs is investigated.