Solitary Shock Waves and Adiabatic Phase Transition in Lipid Interfaces and Nerves

TL;DR

This paper investigates the behavior of solitary shock waves in lipid interfaces and their relation to nerve pulse conduction, revealing how phase transitions and adiabatic conditions influence wave stability and nerve signal propagation.

Contribution

It introduces a theoretical framework linking adiabatic state diagram curvature to shock wave stability and nerve conduction, highlighting the thermodynamic factors affecting nerve pulse propagation.

Findings

Stable solitary waves require positive curvature of adiabats.

Wave splitting occurs at phase boundaries, indicating condensation on heating.

Adiabatic state curvature influences nerve conduction velocity and blockage.

Abstract

This study shows that the stability of solitary waves excited in a lipid monolayer near a phase boundary requires positive curvature of the adiabats, a known necessary condition in shock compression science. It is further shown that the condition results in a threshold for excitation, saturation of the wave amplitude and the splitting of the wave at the phase boundaries. Splitting in particular confirms that a hydrated lipid interface can undergo condensation on adiabatic heating thus showing retrograde behavior. Finally, using the new theoretical insights and state dependence of conduction velocity in nerves, the curvature of the adiabatic state diagram is shown to be closely tied to the thermodynamic blockage of nerve pulse propagation.