Simulation of Flagellated Bacteria Near a Solid Surface: Effects of Flagellar Morphology and Ionic Strength

Abstract

This study systematically investigates the three-stage process of bacterial surface entrapment, characterized by its height and inclination angle. Initially, bacteria swim towards the surface at an approach velocity proportional to motor rotation frequency. Subsequently, the cotangent of the inclination angle decays exponentially with the product of the motor rotation frequency and time during reorientation. Finally, under the combined action of near-field hydrodynamic interactions and DLVO forces, bacteria reach a stable fixed point near the surface. Bacteria with left-handed chiral flagella exhibit a clockwise circular motion on the surface. The stable heights, inclination angles, and radii of curvature of these circular trajectories are collectively determined by the flagellar morphology and ionic strength of the electrolyte solution. Specifically, increasing the contour length of the flagellum reduces the stable inclination angle and increases the radius of curvature. In contrast, decreasing the ionic strength increases the stable height and radius of curvature, while also decreasing the stable inclination angle. Typically, the stable inclination angle falls within $(\pi/2,\pi)$, the stable height ranges from several nanometers to over one hundred nanometers, and the radius of curvature spans several to tens of micrometers. Our work explains the observed dispersion of the stable heights.