Free access article

Issue M2AN Volume 37, Number 4, July-August 2003 Biological and Biomedical Applications Page(s) 617 - 630 DOI 10.1051/m2an:2003048

M2AN, Vol. 37, N°4, pp. 617-630
DOI: 10.1051/m2an:2003048

Numerical simulation of chemotactic bacteria aggregation via mixed finite elements

Americo Marrocco

Inria, Domaine de Voluceau, Rocquencourt, BP 105, 78153 Le Chesnay, France. Americo.Marrocco@requin.inria.fr.

Abstract
We start from a mathematical model which describes the collective motion of bacteria taking into account the underlying biochemistry. This model was first introduced by Keller-Segel [13]. A new formulation of the system of partial differential equations is obtained by the introduction of a new variable (this new variable is similar to the quasi-Fermi level in the framework of semiconductor modelling). This new system of P.D.E. is approximated via a mixed finite element technique. The solution algorithm is then described and finally we give some preliminary numerical results. Especially our method is well adapted to compute the concentration of bacteria.

Mathematics Subject Classification. 35Q, 65M, 92B, 92C

Key words: Biophysics, chemotaxis, numerical simulation, mixed finite element.


© EDP Sciences, SMAI 2003

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