Numerical Study of Membrane Configurations

• Main Authors: Luka Mesarec, Miha Fošnarič, Samo Penič, Veronika Kralj Iglič, Samo Kralj, Wojciech Góźdź, Aleš Iglič
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hindawi Limited 2014-01-01
• Series: Advances in Condensed Matter Physics
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/373674

We studied biological membranes of spherical topology within the framework of the spontaneous curvature model. Both Monte Carlo simulations and the numerical minimization of the curvature energy were used to obtain the shapes of the vesicles. The shapes of the vesicles and their energy were calculated for different values of the reduced volume. The vesicles which exhibit in-plane ordering were also studied. Minimal models have been developed in order to study the orientational ordering in colloids coated with a thin sheet of nematic liquid crystal (nematic shells). The topological defects are always present on the surfaces with the topology of a sphere. The location of the topological defects depends strongly on the curvature of the surface. We studied the nematic ordering and the formation of topological defects on vesicles obtained by the minimization of the spontaneous curvature energy.