dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaDynamics of a viscous vesicle in linear flows
| Authors | Petia M. Vlahovska, Ruben Serral Gracia |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0608039 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0608039 |
| DOI | 10.1103/PhysRevE.75.016313 |
Abstract
An analytical theory is developed to describe the dynamics of a closed lipid bilayer membrane (vesicle) freely suspended in a general linear flow. Considering a nearly spherical shape, the solution to the creeping-flow equations is obtained as a regular perturbation expansion in the excess area. The analysis takes into account the membrane fluidity, incompressibility and resistance to bending. The constraint for a fixed total area leads to a non-linear shape evolution equation at leading order. As a result two regimes of vesicle behavior, tank-treading and tumbling, are predicted depending on the viscosity contrast between interior and exterior fluid. Below a critical viscosity contrast, which depends on the excess area, the vesicle deforms into a tank--treading ellipsoid, whose orientation angle with respect to the flow direction is independent of the membrane bending rigidity. In the tumbling regime, the vesicle exhibits periodic shape deformations with a frequency that increases with the viscosity contrast. Non-Newtonian rheology such as normal stresses is predicted for a dilute suspension of vesicles. The theory is in good agreement with published experimental data for vesicle behavior in simple shear flow.
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"abstract": "An analytical theory is developed to describe the dynamics of a closed lipid\nbilayer membrane (vesicle) freely suspended in a general linear flow.\nConsidering a nearly spherical shape, the solution to the creeping-flow\nequations is obtained as a regular perturbation expansion in the excess area.\nThe analysis takes into account the membrane fluidity, incompressibility and\nresistance to bending. The constraint for a fixed total area leads to a\nnon-linear shape evolution equation at leading order. As a result two regimes\nof vesicle behavior, tank-treading and tumbling, are predicted depending on the\nviscosity contrast between interior and exterior fluid. Below a critical\nviscosity contrast, which depends on the excess area, the vesicle deforms into\na tank--treading ellipsoid, whose orientation angle with respect to the flow\ndirection is independent of the membrane bending rigidity. In the tumbling\nregime, the vesicle exhibits periodic shape deformations with a frequency that\nincreases with the viscosity contrast. Non-Newtonian rheology such as normal\nstresses is predicted for a dilute suspension of vesicles. The theory is in\ngood agreement with published experimental data for vesicle behavior in simple\nshear flow.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0608039",
"authors": [
"Petia M. Vlahovska",
"Ruben Serral Gracia"
],
"categories": [
"physics.bio-ph",
"physics.flu-dyn"
],
"doi": "10.1103/PhysRevE.75.016313",
"title": "Dynamics of a viscous vesicle in linear flows",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0608039"
},
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