Related papers: Alignment and Nonlinear Elasticity in Biopolymer G…
We propose a first-principles theoretical approach for the description of the aging of the linear viscoelastic properties of a colloidal liquid after a sudden quench into a dynamically arrested (glass or gel) state. Specifically, we couple…
The paper investigates localized deformation patterns resulting from the onset of instabilities in lattice structures. The study is motivated by previous observations on discrete hexagonal lattices, where the onset of non-uniform,…
Starting from a model of nonlinear magnetoelasticity where magnetization is defined in the Eulerian configuration while elastic deformation is in the Lagrangean one, we rigorously derive a linearized model that coincides with the standard…
Following recent X-ray diffraction experiments by Wong, Li, and Safinya on biopolymer gels, we apply Onsager excluded volume theory to a nematic mixture of rigid rods and strong ``$\pi/2$'' cross-linkers obtaining a long-ranged, highly…
We first review the phenomenology of viscous liquids and the standard models used for explaining the non-Arrhenius average relaxation time. Then the focus is turned to the so-called elastic models, arguing that these models are all…
We investigate the interplay between chemotaxis and alignment interactions in active rod-like particles, such as E. coli and Janus rods. Starting from a discrete model of self-propelled rods with chemotactic responses, we employ a…
Advances in high-precision dielectric spectroscopy has enabled access to non-linear susceptibilities of polar molecular liquids. The observed non-monotonic behavior has been claimed to provide strong support for theories of dynamic arrest…
We present Monte Carlo simulations of an ultra coarse-grained lipid bilayer with different number of lipids on both leaflets. In the simulations, we employ a new method for measuring the elastic parameters of the membrane, including the…
The alignment of fibers and cells in living tissues affect their mechanical properties and functionality. In this context, one can draw an analogy between tissues and nematic liquid crystal elastomers. We explore this analogy by growing…
We introduce a class of continuum mechanical models aimed at describing the behaviour of viscoelastic fluids by incorporating concepts originated in the theory of solid plasticity. Within this class, even a simple model with constant…
We present a model for the dynamics of elastic or poroelastic bodies with monopolar repulsive long-range (electrostatic) interactions at large strains. Our model respects (only) locally the non-self-interpenetration condition but can cope…
We present an exact analysis of the intrinsic dynamics of two types of biopolymers, described by the wormlike chain (WLC) and the wormlike rod chain (WLRC) models, respectively. We map each model to a classical field theory for an…
I study the buckling transition under compression of a two-dimensional, hexagonal, regular elastic honeycomb. Under isotropic compression, the system buckles to a configuration consisting of a unit cell containing four of the original…
We present a hydrodynamic model of spreading epithelial monolayers as polar viscous fluids, with active contractility and traction on the substrate. The combination of both active forces generate an instability that leads to nonlinear…
How epithelial cells coordinate their polarity to form functional tissues is an open question in cell biology. Here, we characterize a unique type of polarity found in liver tissue, nematic cell polarity, which is different from vectorial…
Existing smart composite piezoelectric beam models in the literature mostly ignore the electro-magnetic interactions and adopt the linear elasticity theory. However, these interactions substantially change the controllability and…
We deduce a 1D model of elastic planar rods starting from the F\"{o}ppl--von K\'{a}rm\'{a}n model of thin shells. Such model is enhanced by additional kinematical descriptors that keep explicit track of the compatibility condition requested…
A rectangular plate of dielectric elastomer exhibiting gradients of material properties through its thickness will deform inhomogeneously when a potential difference is applied to compliant electrodes on its major surfaces, because each…
Dispersed colloidal particles within a suspension can aggregate and spontaneously self-organize into a robust, percolating structure known as a gel. These network-like structures are prevalent in nature and play a critical role in many…
We show that development of polar order may spontaneously destroy the lamellar structure of a liquid crystal. This results in an unusual sequence of phases with the ferroelectric nematic phase appearing below a non-polar smectic phase. The…