Helical Swimming Simulator

Simulates a rigid rotating helix at low Reynolds number.

The code simulates a rigid rotating helix at low Reynolds number using the regularized Stokeslet method of Cortez et al. (2005), the slender body theory of Lighthill (1976), the slender body theory of Johnson (1980) and resistive force theory. The program calculates the propulsive matrix elements, which can be used to estimate the forces and torques on a helical flagellum from measurements of velocity and rotation for a given helical geometry. The GUI allows the user to specify a single helical geometry or a range. The results are given in a non-dimensional form. The program is useful for both biological measurements and construction of bio-mimetic swimmer that use a helical flagellum for propulsion.