Berlin 2024 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 20: Poster IIIa

BP 20.22: Poster

Wednesday, March 20, 2024, 11:00–14:30, Poster B

Unraveling the Role of Physical Interactions in Multicomponent Phase Separation — •Yicheng Qiang, Chengjie Luo, and David Zwicker — Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Am Faßberg 17, 37077 Göttingen, Germany

Phase separation is a crucial phenomenon in soft matter and biophysics, e.g., for forming biomolecular condensates. Yet, our understanding of how the physical interactions between components affect phase separation remains limited, particularly in systems with many components. Investigations are often restricted to systems with very few species, are focused on pair interactions, or only consider the stability of the homogeneous state. We developed a powerful method to study coexisting phases in multicomponent fluids and used it to analyze two cases. First, we concentrate on the equilibrium behavior of a many-component system with pair interactions. We demonstrate that the number of coexisting phases can significantly differ from the number of unstable modes identified through stability analysis. Second, we explore the impact of higher-order interactions on phase separation. Our findings reveal that three-body interactions can trigger additional phases compared to pair interactions, underscoring the crucial role of higher-order interactions in phase separation. In summary, our study elucidates the nuanced role of physical interactions in phase separation, offering valuable insights for investigating biomolecular condensates in cells.

Keywords: phase separation; multicomponent fluids; higher-order interaction; coexisting phases