Brownian dynamics simulation method for the study of anisotropic active Brownian particles

Abstract

Colloidal or Brownian particles are tiny particles 1 µm to 10 nm) immersed in a Newtonian viscous fluid and subjected to Brownian motion This motion is due to thermal fluctuations of the fluid molecules that induce irregular (or stochastic) movement in the particle dynamics The particles become active Brownian particles ( if they can move autonomously or self propel by transforming energy into mechanical motion This self propulsion ability of ABPs (“smart ABPs”) offers immense potential in applications such as biomedicine (e g drug delivery mechanisms) and nanotechnology (e g nanorobots) It is therefore crucial to understand the dynamics of these particles under external influence The present work aims to develop the governing equations that mathematically model the dynamic behavior of isotropic ( and anisotropic (e g ellipsoidal) ABPs in a uniform magnetic field This work also implements the equations using a well established computational method called Brownian dynamics ( simulation Upon completion of this computational approach, a complete characterization of the interaction between isotropic and anisotropic ABPs can be performed