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Fluid-inertia torques from particle-shape symmetry

L. Sundberg1, F. Candelier2, N. Fintzi3, G. Voth4, J. L. Pierson3, K. Gustavsson1, and B. Mehlig1

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Phys. Rev. Fluids 11, 064305 – Published 22 June, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/jsk8-mkkd

Abstract

Numerical simulation of particle motion in fluids at low particle Reynolds numbers is often based on empirical force and torque models obtained by fitting force and torque from ab initio computations for simple particle shapes such as spheres, spheroids, or cylindrical disks and fibers. To do the same for more complex particles shapes, one needs to first know how particle shape constrains the dependence of force and torque on flow velocity, its gradient, and on particle orientation. Here we use symmetry analysis and perturbation theory to determine the form of the hydrodynamic torque on a particle settling in a quiescent fluid at low but nonzero particle Reynolds numbers for particle shapes with different point-group symmetries. The symmetry conclusions are verified by comparing with explicit calculations for nearly spherical particles.

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Phys. Rev. Fluids 11, 064305– Published 22 June, 2026
  • Received 19 December 2025
  • Accepted 30 March 2026
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI. Funded by Bibsam.

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