Modeling liquid migration in active swollen gel spheres

TL;DR

This paper develops a mathematical model to understand liquid migration caused by remodeling in active, impermeable gel spheres, applicable to biological and soft matter systems in steady and transient states.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive mathematical framework for modeling liquid migration in active gel spheres, addressing both steady and transient conditions.

Findings

The model captures steady-state liquid distribution.

Transient dynamics of liquid migration are characterized.

Insights into biological and soft matter systems are provided.

Abstract

Liquid migration in active soft solids is a very common phenomenon in Nature at different scales: from cells to leaves. It can be caused by mechanical as well as chemical actions. The work focuses on the migration of liquid provoked by remodeling processes in an active impermeable gel sphere. Within this context, we present a consistent mathematical theory capable to gain a deep understanding of the phenomenon in both steady and transient conditions.