A Computational Study of Hydrodynamic Interactions Between Pairs of Sperm With Planar and Quasi-Planar Beat Forms

Abstract

Although hydrodynamic interactions and cooperative swimming of mammalian sperm are observed, the key factors that lead to attraction or repulsion in different confined geometries are not well understood. In this study, we simulate the 3-dimensional fluid-structure interaction of pairs of swimmers utilizing the Method of Regularized Stokeslets, accounting for a nearby wall via a regularized image system. To investigate emergent trajectories of swimmers, we look at different preferred beat forms, planar or quasi-planar (helical with unequal radii). We also explored different initializations of swimmers in either the same plane (co-planar) or with centerlines in parallel planes. In free space, swimmers with quasi-planar beat forms and those with planar beat forms that are co-planar exhibit stable attraction. The swimmers reach a maintained minimum distance apart that is smaller than their initial distance apart. In contrast, for swimmers initialized in parallel beat planes with a planar beat form, we observe alternating periods of attraction and repulsion. When the pairs of swimmers are perpendicular to a nearby wall, for all cases considered, they approach the wall and reach a constant distance between swimmers. Interestingly, we observe sperm rolling in the case of swimmers with preferred planar beat forms that are initialized in parallel beat planes and near a wall.