Shape dynamics of nearly spherical, multicomponent vesicles under shear flow

TL;DR

This paper develops a theoretical framework to analyze the shape dynamics of nearly spherical, multi-component vesicles under shear flow, considering phase separation and coarsening effects, with implications for understanding cell membrane behavior.

Contribution

It introduces a small-deformation theory incorporating phase separation and coarsening dynamics to study vesicle shape changes under shear flow, extending prior single-component analyses.

Findings

Different vesicle behaviors (tumbling, tank-treading, etc.) depend on flow and coarsening time scales.

Phase separation influences vesicle deformation modes.

Theoretical insights aid experimental understanding of cell membrane mechanics.

Abstract

In biology, cells undergo deformations under the action of flow caused by the fluid surrounding them. These flows lead to shape changes and instabilities that have been explored in detail for single component vesicles. However, cell membranes are often multi-component in nature, made up of multiple phospholipids and cholesterol mixtures that give rise to interesting thermodynamics and fluid mechanics. Our work analyses linear flows around a multi-component vesicle using a small-deformation theory based on vector and scalar spherical harmonics. We set up the problem by laying out the governing momentum equations and the traction {balance } arising from the phase separation and bending. These equations are solved along with a Cahn-Hilliard equation that governs the coarsening dynamics of the phospholipid-cholesterol mixture. We provide a detailed analysis of the vesicle dynamics (e.g., tumbling, breathing, tank-treading, swinging, and phase treading) in two regimes -- when flow is faster than coarsening dynamics (Peclet number $Pe \gg 1$) and when the two time scales are comparable ($Pe \sim O(1)$) -- and provide a discussion on {when these behaviours occur}. The analysis aims to provide an experimentalist with important insights pertaining to the phase separation dynamics and their effect on the deformation dynamics of a vesicle.