Dresden 2006 – scientific programme

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AKB: Biologische Physik

AKB 25: Cell Mechanics I

AKB 25.4: Talk

Thursday, March 30, 2006, 15:45–16:00, ZEU 260

Non-Affine Deformations: No-dqelementary excitationsNo-dq for the elasticity of random fiber networks — •Claus Heussinger and Erwin Frey — LMU Munich, Arnold-Sommerfeld-Zentrum, Theresienstr. 37, 80333 München

We numerically study the elasticity of random fibrous networks in two dimensions. Highly non-affine deformations on the scale of the single fiber are found to lead to anomalous elastic properties even on the macroscopic scale. This has to be contrasted with classical elasticity theory where material elements deform in an affine way and microstructure is not accounted for.

We identify the characteristic features of the microscopic deformation field and provide a scaling argument that allows the calculation of macroscopic quantities like the shear modulus.

Our work highlights the importance of architecture to the elastic response of fibrous structures and applies to diverse physical systems ranging from paper sheets to biological networks of semiflexible polymers like the cytoskeleton.