Regensburg 2010 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 37: Biomaterials

BP 37.10: Talk

Friday, March 26, 2010, 12:45–13:00, H43

Active polar gels in a Taylor Couette Geometry — •Matthias Mußler and Albrecht Ott — Biologische Experimentalphysik, Universität des Saarlandes, Saarbrücken

The Taylor Couette Geometry is a well researched system for polymersuspensions and many other inactive fluids.Our experimental approach starts with the assumption that, if a fluid or suspension has active components, the critical Taylor Number is influenced by these active processes, i.e. filament de-/polymerisation, and the phase diagram will change. This is observable by the formation of Taylor Vortices or other flow figures and calculable by the stimulus in relation to the flow variation. For these experiments we use an extract of Xenopus Oocytes as an example for acellular but nonetheless active fluid and Macrophages as an example for highly active living cells in a coaxial cylinder geometry in a commercial rheometer. The calculus of these experiments is based on the theory of active polar gels described by Kruse et al. This theory describes an active fluid with several components. It takes into account polar order and considers the case when one component is viscoelastic.