Dynamic Theory of Pearling Instability in Cylindrical Vesicles

TL;DR

This paper presents a simple hydrodynamic theory explaining the pearling instability in cylindrical vesicles, matching experimental observations and providing estimates for the instability wavelength based on material parameters.

Contribution

It introduces a new theoretical model for vesicle pearling instability that aligns with experimental results and predicts the instability wavelength from measurable parameters.

Findings

The theory reproduces qualitative behavior of pearling instability.

Estimated wavelength matches experimental data within rough agreement.

Provides a framework for understanding membrane dynamics under tension.

Abstract

We give a simple theory for recent experiments of Bar-Ziv and Moses% Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf73} (1994) 1392, in which tubular vesicles are excited using laser tweezers to a ``peristaltic'' state. Considering the hydrodynamics of a bilayer membrane under tension, we reproduce some of the qualitative behavior seen and find a value for the wavelength of the instability in terms of independently measured material parameters, in rough agreement with the experimental values.