The aim of this work is to deduce the existence of solution of a coupled problem arising in elastohydrodynamic lubrication. The lubricant pressure and concentration are modelled by Reynolds equation, jointly with the free-boundary Elrod-Adams model in order to take into account cavitation phenomena. The bearing deformation is solution of Koiter model for thin shells. The existence of solution to the variational problem presents some difficulties: the coupled character of the equations, the nonlinear...

The aim of this work is to deduce the existence of solution of a coupled problem arising in elastohydrodynamic lubrication. The lubricant pressure and concentration are modelled by Reynolds equation, jointly with the free-boundary Elrod-Adams model in order to take into account cavitation phenomena. The bearing deformation is solution of Koiter model for thin shells. The existence of solution to the variational problem presents some difficulties: the coupled character of the equations, the nonlinear...

We present a simple mechanism of cell motility in a confined geometry, inspired by recent motility assays in microfabricated channels. This mechanism relies mainly on the coupling of actin polymerisation at the cell membrane to geometric confinement. We first show analytically using a minimal model of polymerising viscoelastic gel confined in a narrow channel that spontaneous motion occurs due to polymerisation alone. Interestingly, this mechanism...