Related papers: When structure does not imply symmetry

Topology transcends boundaries that conventionally delineate physical, biological and engineering sciences. Our ability to mathematically describe topology, combined with our access to precision tracking and manipulation approaches, has…

Solid contacts involving soft materials are important in mechanical engineering or biomechanics. Experimentally, such contacts have been shown to shrink significantly under shear, an effect which is usually explained using adhesion models.…

Besides the chemical constituents, it is the lattice geometry that controls the most important material properties. In many interesting compounds, the arrangement of elements leads to pronounced anisotropies, which reflect into a varying…

We investigate the geometrical and mechanical properties of adherent cells characterized by a highly anisotropic actin cytoskeleton. Using a combination of theoretical work and experiments on micropillar arrays, we demonstrate that the…

The effect of the anisotropy on the elastoplastic response of two dimensional packed samples of polygons is investigated here, using molecular dynamics simulation. We show a correlation between fabric coefficients, characterizing the…

Many geologic materials have a composite structure, in which macroscopic mechanical behavior is determined by the properties, shape, and heterogeneous distribution of individual constituents. In particular, sedimentary rocks commonly…

Anisotropy in the mechanical response of materials with microstructure is common and yet is difficult to assess and model. To construct accurate response models given only stress-strain data, we employ classical representation theory, novel…

Controlling the self-assembly of supramolecular structures is vital for living cells, and a central challenge for engineering at the nano- and microscales. Nevertheless, even particles without optimized shapes can robustly form well-defined…

Symmetry is closely intertwined with the function, genetics, and chemical properties of multiprotein complexes. Here, we explore the relation between structural symmetry and the ability of membrane proteins to sense and induce membrane…

The displacement of a fluid by another less viscous one in a quasi-two dimensional geometry typically leads to complex fingering patterns. In an isotropic system, dense-branching growth arises, which is characterized by repeated…

At the interface between two distinct materials desirable properties, such as superconductivity, can be greatly enhanced, or entirely new functionalities may emerge. Similar to in artificially engineered heterostructures, clean functional…

We propose a predictive model for the mechanical behavior of biodegradable polymers of interest for biomedical applications. Starting from a detailed description of the network behavior of the copolymer material, taking care of bonds…

Rock is a complicated material because of the inherent heterogeneity in mineral phases and composition, even when extracted from the same rock mass. The spatial variability in compositional and structural features prevent reproducible…

Human tissues are highly organized structures with collagen fiber arrangements varying from point to point. Anisotropy of the tissue arises from the natural orientation of the fibers, resulting in location-dependent anisotropy.…

Heterogeneous materials exhibit anisotropy which is influenced by factors such as individual phase properties and microstructural configuration that form crucial descriptors of heterogeneity. A review of anisotropy indices proposed in the…

There are a great many proteins that localize to and collectively generate curvature in biological fluid membranes. We study changes in the topology of fluid membranes due to the presence of highly anisotropic, curvature-inducing proteins.…

The response of paper to humidity variations is a complex multi-scale problem. The hygroscopic swelling of individual fibres and their interactions within the fibrous network govern the macroscopic response. At this scale, moisture induced…

Among systems that display generic scale invariance, those whose asymptotic properties are anisotropic in space (strong anisotropy, SA) have received a relatively smaller attention, specially in the context of kinetic roughening for…

This paper presents a multi-scale approach to predict the effective hygro-mechanical behaviour of paper sheets based on the properties of the underlying fibrous network. Despite the vast amount of literature on paper hygro-expansion, the…

While isotropic in-plane swelling problems for thin elastic sheets have been studied extensively in recent years, many shape-programmable materials, including nematic solids and 3D-printed structures, are anisotropic, as are most industrial…