Two dimensional penetrative phototactic bioconvection with periodic sidewalls

Abstract

Light gradient can allow many motile photosynthetic microorganisms to bias their motion towards moderate light (positive phototaxis) or away from intense light (negative phototaxis). The proposed work presents the penetrative phototactic bioconvection in a non-scattering algal suspension. The suspension is confined by a stress-free top boundary, and rigid bottom and periodic lateral boundaries. The resulting bioconvective patterns of the problem strongly resemble to that of a spatially extended domain in the same vicinity. The bioconvection solution appears in the form of a two-rolls pattern (or any even number of rolls) due to the periodic lateral boundaries.