Nonlinear elasticity of composite networks of stiff biopolymers with flexible linkers

作者:Broedersz C P*; Storm C; MacKintosh F C
来源:Physical Review Letters, 2008, 101(11): 118103.
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.101.118103

摘要

Motivated by recent experiments showing nonlinear elasticity of in vitro networks of the biopolymer actin cross-linked with filamin, we present an effective medium theory of flexibly cross-linked stiff polymer networks. We model such networks by randomly oriented elastic rods connected by flexible connectors to a surrounding elastic continuum, which self-consistently represents the behavior of the rest of the network. This model yields a crossover from a linear elastic regime to a highly nonlinear elastic regime that stiffens in a way quantitatively consistent with experiment.

  • 出版日期2008-9-12