1,047 research outputs found
The main transition in the Pink membrane model: finite-size scaling and the influence of surface roughness
We consider the main transition in single-component membranes using computer
simulations of the Pink model [D. Pink {\it et al.}, Biochemistry {\bf 19}, 349
(1980)]. We first show that the accepted parameters of the Pink model yield a
main transition temperature that is systematically below experimental values.
This resolves an issue that was first pointed out by Corvera and co-workers
[Phys. Rev. E {\bf 47}, 696 (1993)]. In order to yield the correct transition
temperature, the strength of the van der Waals coupling in the Pink model must
be increased; by using finite-size scaling, a set of optimal values is
proposed. We also provide finite-size scaling evidence that the Pink model
belongs to the universality class of the two-dimensional Ising model. This
finding holds irrespective of the number of conformational states. Finally, we
address the main transition in the presence of quenched disorder, which may
arise in situations where the membrane is deposited on a rough support. In this
case, we observe a stable multi-domain structure of gel and fluid domains, and
the absence of a sharp transition in the thermodynamic limit.Comment: submitted to PR
Waved albatrosses can navigate with strong magnets attached to their head
The foraging excursions of waved albatrosses Phoebastria irrorata during incubation are ideally suited for navigational studies because they navigate between their Galápagos breeding site and one specific foraging site in the upwelling zone of Peru along highly predictable, straight-line routes. We used satellite telemetry to follow free-flying albatrosses after manipulating magnetic orientation cues by attaching magnets to strategic places on the birds' heads. All experimental, sham-manipulated and control birds, were able to navigate back and forth from Galápagos to their normal foraging sites at the Peruvian coast over 1000 km away. Birds subjected to the three treatments did not differ in the routes flown or in the duration and speed of the trips. The interpretations and implications of this result depend on which of the current suggested magnetic sensory mechanisms is actually being used by the birds
Cluster phases of membrane proteins
A physical scenario accounting for the existence of size-limited
submicrometric domains in cell membranes is proposed. It is based on the
numerical investigation of the counterpart, in lipidic membranes where proteins
are diffusing, of the recently discovered cluster phases in colloidal
suspensions. I demonstrate that the interactions between proteins, namely
short-range attraction and longer-range repulsion, make possible the existence
of stable small clusters. The consequences are explored in terms of membrane
organization and diffusion properties. The connection with lipid rafts is
discussed and the apparent protein diffusion coefficient as a function of their
concentration is analyzed.Comment: 5 pages - enhanced versio
Coarse-Grained Simulations of Membranes under Tension
We investigate the properties of membranes under tension by Monte-Carlo
simulations of a generic coarse-grained model for lipid bilayers. We give a
comprising overview of the behavior of several membrane characteristics, such
as the area per lipid, the monolayer overlap, the nematic order, and pressure
profiles. Both the low-temperature regime, where the membranes are in a gel
phase, and the high-temperature regime, where they are in the fluid phase, are
considered. In the gel state, the membrane is hardly influenced by tension. In
the fluid state, high tensions lead to structural changes in the membrane,
which result in different compressibility regimes. The ripple state, which is
found at tension zero in the transition regime between the fluid and the gel
phase, disappears under tension and gives way to an interdigitated phase. We
also study the membrane fluctuations in the fluid phase. In the low tension
regime the data can be fitted nicely to a suitably extended elastic theory. At
higher tensions the elastic fit consistently underestimates the strength of
long-wavelength fluctuations. Finally, we investigate the influence of tension
on the effective interaction between simple transmembrane inclusions and show
that tension can be used to tune the hydrophobic mismatch interaction between
membrane proteins.Comment: 14 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in The Journal of
Chemical Physic
First Order Phase Transition in the 3-dimensional Blume-Capel Model on a Cellular Automaton
The first order phase transition of the three-dimensional Blume Capel are
investigated using cooling algorithm which improved from Creutz Cellular
Automaton for the parameter value in the first order phase transition
region. The analysis of the data using the finite-size effect and the histogram
technique indicate that the magnetic susceptibility maxima and the specific
heat maxima increase with the system volume () at .Comment: 13 pages, 4 figure
Main phase transition in lipid bilayers: phase coexistence and line tension in a soft, solvent-free, coarse-grained model
We devise a soft, solvent-free, coarse-grained model for lipid bilayer
membranes. The non-bonded interactions take the form of a weighted-density
functional which allows us to describe the thermodynamics of self-assembly and
packing effects of the coarse-grained beads in terms of a density expansion of
the equation of state and the weighting functions that regularize the
microscopic bead densities, respectively. Identifying the length and energy
scales via the bilayer thickness and the thermal energy scale, kT, the model
qualitatively reproduces key characteristics (e.g., bending rigidity, area per
lipid molecules, and compressibility) of lipid membranes. We employ this model
to study the main phase transition between the liquid and the gel phase of the
bilayer membrane. We accurately locate the phase coexistence using free energy
calculations and also obtain estimates for the bare and the thermodynamic line
tension.Comment: 21 pages, 12 figures. Submitted to J. Chem. Phy
From supported membranes to tethered vesicles: lipid bilayers destabilisation at the main transition
We report results concerning the destabilisation of supported phospholipid
bilayers in a well-defined geometry. When heating up supported phospholipid
membranes deposited on highly hydrophilic glass slides from room temperature
(i.e. with lipids in the gel phase), unbinding was observed around the main gel
to fluid transition temperature of the lipids. It lead to the formation of
relatively monodisperse vesicles, of which most remained tethered to the
supported bilayer. We interpret these observations in terms of a sharp decrease
of the bending rigidity modulus in the transition region, combined
with a weak initial adhesion energy. On the basis of scaling arguments, we show
that our experimental findings are consistent with this hypothesis.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figure
Random-lattice models and simulation algorithms for the phase equilibria in two-dimensional condensed systems of particles with coupled internal and translational degrees of freedom
Vacancy-assisted domain-growth in asymmetric binary alloys: a Monte Carlo study
A Monte Carlo simulation study of the vacancy-assisted domain-growth in
asymmetric binary alloys is presented. The system is modeled using a
three-state ABV Hamiltonian which includes an asymmetry term, not considered in
previous works. Our simulated system is a stoichiometric two-dimensional binary
alloy with a single vacancy which evolves according to the vacancy-atom
exchange mechanism. We obtain that, compared to the symmetric case, the
ordering process slows down dramatically. Concerning the asymptotic behavior it
is algebraic and characterized by the Allen-Cahn growth exponent x=1/2. The
late stages of the evolution are preceded by a transient regime strongly
affected by both the temperature and the degree of asymmetry of the alloy. The
results are discussed and compared to those obtained for the symmetric case.Comment: 21 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
Critical dynamics of an isothermal compressible non-ideal fluid
A pure fluid at its critical point shows a dramatic slow-down in its
dynamics, due to a divergence of the order-parameter susceptibility and the
coefficient of heat transport. Under isothermal conditions, however, sound
waves provide the only possible relaxation mechanism for order-parameter
fluctuations. Here we study the critical dynamics of an isothermal,
compressible non-ideal fluid via scaling arguments and computer simulations of
the corresponding fluctuating hydrodynamics equations. We show that, below a
critical dimension of 4, the order-parameter dynamics of an isothermal fluid
effectively reduces to "model A," characterized by overdamped sound waves and a
divergent bulk viscosity. In contrast, the shear viscosity remains finite above
two dimensions. Possible applications of the model are discussed.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figures; v3: minor corrections and clarifications; as
published in Phys. Rev.
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