Kinetic roughening in active interfaces

TL;DR

This paper explores how simple, cell-membrane-inspired modifications influence classical kinetic roughening models like KPZ and Edwards-Wilkinson, extending understanding of active interfaces in biological contexts.

Contribution

It introduces modifications inspired by cell membrane dynamics to classical roughening models, bridging biological features with theoretical physics.

Findings

Modified models show different roughness scaling behaviors.

Cell membrane dynamics can alter interface growth universality classes.

Results suggest biological interfaces may exhibit unique kinetic roughening properties.

Abstract

The essential features of many interfaces driven out of equilibrium are described by the same equation---the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) equation. How do living interfaces, such as the cell membrane, fit into this picture? In an endeavour to answer such a question, we proposed in [F. Cagnetta, M. R. Evans, D. Marenduzzo, PRL 120, 258001 (2018)] an idealised model for the membrane of a moving cell. Here we discuss how the addition of simple ingredients inspired by the dynamics of the membrane of moving cells affects common kinetic roughening theories such as the KPZ and Edwards-Wilkinson equations.