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Spindles, cusps, and bifurcation for capsules in Stokes flow
W R Dodson1, P Dimitrakopoulos
1Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|December 31, 2008
Summary
Computational fluid dynamics reveals how Skalak-type capsules change shape in viscous flows. Increasing flow rates cause edge tensions to shift from tensile to compressive, altering capsule shapes from spindled to cusped.
Area of Science:
- Fluid dynamics
- Biophysics
- Computational mechanics
Background:
- Interfacial dynamics of membrane-enclosed fluid volumes in viscous flows are complex.
- Coupling between fluid dynamics and membrane properties complicates these systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To computationally investigate the interfacial dynamics of Skalak-type capsules in viscous flows.
- To understand shape transitions and bifurcations in these capsules under varying flow rates.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an interfacial spectral boundary element algorithm for computational investigation.
- Simulated a strain-hardening Skalak-type capsule in a planar extensional Stokes flow.
Main Results:
- Capsules transition from spindled to cusped steady-state shapes as flow rate increases.
- This transition is driven by a shift in edge tensions from tensile to compressive.
- A bifurcation in steady-state shapes was observed, with both spindled and cusped edges existing at high flow rates due to differing membrane tension evolution.
Conclusions:
- Flow rate significantly influences the interfacial dynamics and steady-state shapes of Skalak-type capsules.
- The transition from tensile to compressive edge tensions is a key mechanism for shape change.
- Bifurcation phenomena highlight the complex interplay between transient processes and membrane tension evolution.
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