2001 Volume 44 Issue 4 Pages 958-963
In the present study, we observed the motion of the bacterium, Vibrio alginolysicus, which swims by rotating a single helically shaped flagellum, by means of a dark-field microscope with a CCD camera system. We took measurements of the speed and the rotation rate as well as the size of individual bacteria. Next, we predicted the swimming speed by means of the boundary element method to analyse the bacterium’s motion and compared the calculated speed with the observed one. There was a close correlation between them not only qualitatively but also qauntitatively. Furthermore, we evaluated the torque of the flagellar motor, by coupling the computational and the experimental results. The torque was estimated to be of the order of 0.1-1 pNμm.
JSME international journal. Ser. 1, Solid mechanics, strength of materials
JSME international journal. Ser. A, Mechanics and material engineering
JSME international journal. Ser. 3, Vibration, control engineering, engineering for industry
JSME international journal. Ser. C, Dynamics, control, robotics, design and manufacturing
JSME International Journal Series A Solid Mechanics and Material Engineering
JSME International Journal Series B Fluids and Thermal Engineering