Analyses on deformation of helical flagella of Salmonella

Abstract

In the present investigation, we constructed formulation to analyze the deformation of flagellar filament combining the evolution equations for space curves with the Kirchhoff rod model as well as the detailed structure of the filament of Salmonella. In the analytical results of the present study, experimental results of the large elongation of close-coiled filament (Hoshikawa and Kamiya, 1985) and the small deformation of normal filament rotating in water (Kudo et al.) are reproduced. Comparing the results of deformation of flagellar filament between the analyses and the experiments, the torsional and the flexural rigidity of the flagellar filament are estimated to be GJ = 4.6 pNμm2 and EI = 6.1 pNμm2. Copyright © 2006 by The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers.