Schedule Aug 21, 2003
Pattern Formations with a Zooplankton: Experiment and Theory*
Frank Moss (University of Missouri at St. Louis)

Swarm theories of self-propelled biological agents have become of increasing interest to theoretical physicists. But well-defined swarming experiments using real biological agents in laboratory conditions are problematic mainly due to size limitations or lack of precise knowledge of the agent-agent or agent-medium interactions. We present the results of lab experiments with the zooplankton Daphnia – intermediate in size (and possibly complexity) between bacteria and birds or fish, for example. Our experiments show the entire range of behaviors from single agent to collective motions of a swarm, and can be observed to perform a fascinating bio-hydrodynamic vortex under certain conditions. Our results can be described by the theory of Active Brownian Particles and a Random Walk Theory. *Supported by Office of Naval Research and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. (Frank Moss, Anke Ordemann and Elizabeth Caspari) Center for Neurodynamics University of Missouri at St. Louis St. Louis, MO 63121

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