A finite element scheme for the evolution of orientational order in fluid membranes

Sören Bartels; Georg Dolzmann; Ricardo H. Nochetto

ESAIM: Mathematical Modelling and Numerical Analysis (2010)

  • Volume: 44, Issue: 1, page 1-31
  • ISSN: 0764-583X

Abstract

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We investigate the evolution of an almost flat membrane driven by competition of the homogeneous, Frank, and bending energies as well as the coupling of the local order of the constituent molecules of the membrane to its curvature. We propose an alternative to the model in [J.B. Fournier and P. Galatoa, J. Phys. II7 (1997) 1509–1520; N. Uchida, Phys. Rev. E66 (2002) 040902] which replaces a Ginzburg-Landau penalization for the length of the order parameter by a rigid constraint. We introduce a fully discrete scheme, consisting of piecewise linear finite elements, show that it is unconditionally stable for a large range of the elastic moduli in the model, and prove its convergence (up to subsequences) thereby proving the existence of a weak solution to the continuous model. Numerical simulations are included that examine typical model situations, confirm our theory, and explore numerical predictions beyond that theory.

How to cite

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Bartels, Sören, Dolzmann, Georg, and Nochetto, Ricardo H.. "A finite element scheme for the evolution of orientational order in fluid membranes." ESAIM: Mathematical Modelling and Numerical Analysis 44.1 (2010): 1-31. <http://eudml.org/doc/250813>.

@article{Bartels2010,
abstract = { We investigate the evolution of an almost flat membrane driven by competition of the homogeneous, Frank, and bending energies as well as the coupling of the local order of the constituent molecules of the membrane to its curvature. We propose an alternative to the model in [J.B. Fournier and P. Galatoa, J. Phys. II7 (1997) 1509–1520; N. Uchida, Phys. Rev. E66 (2002) 040902] which replaces a Ginzburg-Landau penalization for the length of the order parameter by a rigid constraint. We introduce a fully discrete scheme, consisting of piecewise linear finite elements, show that it is unconditionally stable for a large range of the elastic moduli in the model, and prove its convergence (up to subsequences) thereby proving the existence of a weak solution to the continuous model. Numerical simulations are included that examine typical model situations, confirm our theory, and explore numerical predictions beyond that theory. },
author = {Bartels, Sören, Dolzmann, Georg, Nochetto, Ricardo H.},
journal = {ESAIM: Mathematical Modelling and Numerical Analysis},
keywords = {Biomembrane; orientational order; curvature; biomembrane},
language = {eng},
month = {3},
number = {1},
pages = {1-31},
publisher = {EDP Sciences},
title = {A finite element scheme for the evolution of orientational order in fluid membranes},
url = {http://eudml.org/doc/250813},
volume = {44},
year = {2010},
}

TY - JOUR
AU - Bartels, Sören
AU - Dolzmann, Georg
AU - Nochetto, Ricardo H.
TI - A finite element scheme for the evolution of orientational order in fluid membranes
JO - ESAIM: Mathematical Modelling and Numerical Analysis
DA - 2010/3//
PB - EDP Sciences
VL - 44
IS - 1
SP - 1
EP - 31
AB - We investigate the evolution of an almost flat membrane driven by competition of the homogeneous, Frank, and bending energies as well as the coupling of the local order of the constituent molecules of the membrane to its curvature. We propose an alternative to the model in [J.B. Fournier and P. Galatoa, J. Phys. II7 (1997) 1509–1520; N. Uchida, Phys. Rev. E66 (2002) 040902] which replaces a Ginzburg-Landau penalization for the length of the order parameter by a rigid constraint. We introduce a fully discrete scheme, consisting of piecewise linear finite elements, show that it is unconditionally stable for a large range of the elastic moduli in the model, and prove its convergence (up to subsequences) thereby proving the existence of a weak solution to the continuous model. Numerical simulations are included that examine typical model situations, confirm our theory, and explore numerical predictions beyond that theory.
LA - eng
KW - Biomembrane; orientational order; curvature; biomembrane
UR - http://eudml.org/doc/250813
ER -

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