Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026
08:31
Analysis of Shear Flow-induced Migration of Murine Marginal Zone B Cells In Vitro
Published on: November 26, 2018
Effective mass of a migrating interface
Xinyuan Song1,2, Chuang Deng1
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada.
Summary
Materials interfaces, like grain boundaries, show inertia, not just simple movement. This discovery challenges long-held assumptions about interface kinetics and introduces effective interface mass as crucial for understanding material behavior.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Physical Chemistry
Background:
- Interfaces are critical in materials science, influencing microstructural evolution and properties.
- Interface kinetics, particularly migration, is a century-old field with untested foundational assumptions.
- Current models often treat interfaces as massless, governed by overdamped dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the largely untested assumption of massless interfaces.
- To determine if interfaces exhibit inertial behavior under specific conditions.
- To develop a quantitative method for measuring interface mass and its impact on kinetics.
Main Methods:
- Applying high-frequency oscillatory driving forces to interfaces.
- Measuring the phase lag between applied force and interface velocity.
- Developing a quantitative method to extract effective interface mass.
Main Results:
- Grain boundaries demonstrate measurable inertial behavior under high-frequency driving.
- The extracted effective interface mass correlates with the number of atoms involved in migration.
- Inertial effects significantly alter interfacial kinetics at frequencies near thermal fluctuations.
Conclusions:
- The conventional massless, overdamped model of interface migration is incomplete.
- Interface inertia is a significant factor influencing material behavior, especially at high frequencies.
- Effective interface mass must be incorporated into physically complete theories of interface migration.
Related Concept Videos
00:53Migration
Migration is long-range, seasonal movement from one region or habitat to another. This common strategy, carried out by many different organisms around the world, is an adaptive response that typically corresponds to changes in an organism’s environment, like resource availability or climate. Migrations can involve huge groups of thousands of animals as well as single individuals traveling alone and can range from thousands of kilometers to just a few hundred meters.
01:32Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration
A migrating cell changes its shape during the cyclic events of attachment and detachment from the substratum and repositions the cell organelles correspondingly. These complex events are orchestrated by the dynamic cytoskeletal network comprising actin filaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules. Cytoskeletal crosstalk — the direct and indirect communication between the different components — is crucial for this coordination. Direct communication involves various linker proteins that...
01:14Conservation of Mass in Moving, Nondeforming Control Volume
Stormwater detention basins are essential in managing runoff during heavy rainfall, particularly in urban areas where impervious surfaces increase the risk of flooding. Understanding the conservation of mass in these systems allows engineers to optimize basin performance, balancing inflow, outflow, and water storage.
In the context of a detention basin, the conservation of mass states that the total mass of water entering the basin must equal the mass leaving the basin plus any accumulation of...
In the context of a detention basin, the conservation of mass states that the total mass of water entering the basin must equal the mass leaving the basin plus any accumulation of...
01:18Role of Myosin in Cell Migration
Myosins are multimeric motor proteins involved in various cellular processes such as migration, adhesion, and proliferation. Myosin II is the most common type in animal cells, which binds and cross-links actin filaments.
Myosin II is a hexamer comprising two heavy chains with globular heads and coiled-coil tails, two regulatory light chains, and two essential light chains. The ATPase sites on the myosin heads hydrolyze ATP, and the released phosphate generates the force for contraction. It is...
Myosin II is a hexamer comprising two heavy chains with globular heads and coiled-coil tails, two regulatory light chains, and two essential light chains. The ATPase sites on the myosin heads hydrolyze ATP, and the released phosphate generates the force for contraction. It is...
01:19Cell Migration
Cell migration is a process by which the cells move from one location to another, playing an essential role in embryological development, repair and regeneration, immune response, and metastasis. Cells migrate in response to chemical or mechanical signals generated by specific organs or tissues. The overall mechanism includes three steps - polarization, protrusion, and release. Polarization involves the formation of a distinct cell front and rear, which determines the direction of movement.
01:09Cell Migration
Cell migration, the process by which cells move from one location to another, is essential for the proper development and viability of organisms throughout their life. When cells are not able to migrate properly to their ordained locations, various disorders may occur. For example, disruption in cell migration causes chronic inflammatory diseases such as arthritis.