2013 Volume 3 Issue 1 Pages 2-7
Swimming motion of a bacterial cell in an infinite liquid was numerically analyzed. The relation between the cell size, the flagellar rotational rate and its swimming speed was calculated. The calculated values are comparable to observed values. Near a surface, the motion becomes different from the motion unaffected by any surfaces. The rotations of the flagella and the cell body cause a circular motion. According to our numerical results, the pitch angle varies during the circular motion, and it becomes zero at a certain distance from the surface. This suggests that cells will accumulate within a range of distance.
