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Tuning the ordered states of folded rods by isotropic confinement
E Bayart1, A Boudaoud2, M Adda-Bedia1
1Laboratoire de Physique Statistique, Ecole Normale Supérieure, UPMC Paris 6, Université Paris Diderot, CNRS, 24 rue Lhomond, 75005 Paris, France.
Summary
Confining an elastic rod in a parabolic potential reveals how its folded configurations form branches. Increased confinement strengthens geometrical order and drives disordered states toward a more ordered ground state.
Area of Science:
- Statistical mechanics
- Soft matter physics
- Non-equilibrium systems
Background:
- Packing of elastic objects is studied in out-of-equilibrium statistical mechanics.
- These systems exhibit similarities to glassy systems.
- Understanding the behavior of confined elastic objects is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the folded configurations of an elastic rod confined by a parabolic potential.
- To analyze the geometrical order and energy distributions within the system.
- To relate the observed patterns to concepts in disordered systems and thermodynamics.
Main Methods:
- A two-dimensional experimental setup was used to confine an elastic rod.
- Measurements of length and curvature distributions were performed.
- Energy distributions were analyzed to define an energy scale.
Main Results:
- A stacking process was identified, forming branches from multiple rod layers.
- Geometrical order of patterns increases with confinement strength.
- An energy scale correlated with stacked elastic energy was defined, influencing energy partition.
Conclusions:
- Observed patterns can be described as excited states of an ordered ground state.
- Disordered states of the folded rod spontaneously approach the ground state with increased confinement.
- The findings may be relevant to the thermodynamics of disordered systems.
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