Massimo Cencini - ISC-CNR Roma #
Microorganisms swimming in a flow #
Many aquatic microorganisms are motile and typically swim in a moving, sometimes 
turbulent, fluid environment. The interaction between swimming (self-propulsion) and 
flow advection gives rise to interesting phenomenology, especially concerning the 
spatial distribution of microbes. Many aspects of such interaction can be understood 
by using ideas and tools from dynamical systems theory. Here we shall discuss some of 
these aspects mostly focusing on the case study of gyrotactic phytoplankton, which 
swims by means of two flagella opposite to the center of mass, which is displaced with 
respect to the center of symmetry --- bottom heavy cells.