The<i>N</i>-flagella problem: elastohydrodynamic motility transition of multi-flagellated bacteria
The<i>N</i>-flagella problem: elastohydrodynamic motility transition of multi-flagellated bacteria
Peritrichous bacteria such as Escherichia coli swim in viscous fluids by forming a helical bundle of flagellar filaments. The filaments are spatially distributed around the cell body to which they are connected via a flexible hook. To understand how the swimming direction of the cell is determined, we theoretically investigate …