A computational model of self-organized shape dynamics of active surfaces in fluids

DOI10.1016/J.JCPX.2023.100126MaRDI QIDQ6186278zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Lucas D. Wittwer, Sebastian Aland

Publication date 9 January 2024

Published in Journal of Computational Physics: X (Search for Journal in Brave)

Copyright license Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/2203.00099

zbMATH Keywords

active surfacesfinite-element methodnumerical simulationpattern formationshape dynamics

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Numerical methods for partial differential equations, initial value and time-dependent initial-boundary value problems (65Mxx) Incompressible viscous fluids (76Dxx) Basic methods in fluid mechanics (76Mxx)

Abstract: Mechanochemical processes on surfaces such as the cellular cortex or epithelial sheets, play a key role in determining patterns and shape changes of biological systems. To understand the complex interplay of hydrodynamics and material flows on such active surfaces requires novel numerical tools. Here, we present a finite-element method for an active deformable surface interacting with the surrounding fluids. The underlying model couples surface and bulk hydrodynamics to surface flow of a diffusible species which generates active contractile forces. The method is validated with previous results based on linear stability analysis and shows almost perfect agreement regarding predicted patterning. Away from the linear regime we find rich non-linear behavior, such as the presence of multiple stationary states. We study the formation of a contractile ring on the surface and the corresponding shape changes. Finally, we explore mechanochemical pattern formation on various surface geometries and find that patterning strongly adapts to local surface curvature. The developed method provides a basis to analyze a variety of systems that involve mechanochemical pattern formation on active surfaces interacting with surrounding fluids.

Cites work

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Cited in

(3)

• Pulsatory patterns in active viscoelastic fluids with distinct relaxation time scales
• A stable numerical approach for active deformable fluid surfaces
• Hydrodynamic liquid crystal models for lipid bilayers

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