Soft streaming – flow rectification via elastic boundaries

Abstract

Viscous streaming is an efficient mechanism to exploit inertia at the microscale for flow control. While streaming from rigid features has been thoroughly investigated, when body compliance is involved, as in biological settings, little is known. Here, we investigate body elasticity effects on streaming in the minimal case of an immersed soft cylinder. Our study reveals an additional streaming process, available even in Stokes flows. Paving the way for advanced forms of flow manipulation, we illustrate how gained insights may translate to complex geometries beyond circular cylinders.