Observations of Singularity Formation during the Capillary Collapse and Bubble Pinch-off of a Soap Film Bridge

Robinson, Nathaniel D.; Steen, Paul H.

doi:10.1006/jcis.2001.7717

Cited by 44 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…2B Upper, arrowheads). Phenomenologically, this process strongly resembles the collapse of a soap-film bridge (10,11,34). However, in contrast to a soap-film bridge, connections between lipid membranes on the end-rings were preserved, as the satellite lipid vesicles followed the motion of the supporting end-rings (Fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…2D). The system appeared as two separate membranes on the end-rings; several satellite lipid vesicles were often seen near the tubule axis (34) (Fig. 2B Upper, arrowheads).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2C, black and red contours), is an established stationary shape for soapfilm bridges (11,34) and, in certain cases, for tubule lipid membranes (27,29). Catenoid is generated by revolution of a catenary: y c (x) ϭ a⅐cosh((x Ϫ x 0 )͞a) (Fig.…”

Section: Appendixmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Shape bistability of a membrane neck: A toggle switch to control vesicle content release

Frolov

Lizunov

Dunina-Barkovskaya

et al. 2003

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Shape dynamics and permeability of a membrane neck connecting a vesicle and plasma membrane are considered. The neck is modeled by a lipid membrane tubule extended between two parallel axisymmetric rings. Within a range of lengths, defined by system geometry and mechanical properties of the membrane, the tubule has two stable shapes: catenoidal microtubule and cylindrical nanotubule. The permeabilities of these two shapes, measured as ionic conductivity of the tubule interior, differ by up to four orders of magnitude. Near the critical length the transitions between the shapes occur within less than a millisecond. Theoretical estimates show that the shape switching is controlled by a single parameter, the tubule length. Thus the tubule connection can operate as a conductivity microswitch, toggling the release of vesicle content in such cellular processes as ''kiss-and-run'' exocytosis. In support of this notion, bistable behavior of membrane connections between vesicles and the cell plasma membrane in macrophages is demonstrated.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…2D). The system appeared as two separate membranes on the end-rings; several satellite lipid vesicles were often seen near the tubule axis (34) (Fig. 2B Upper, arrowheads).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Shape bistability of a membrane neck: A toggle switch to control vesicle content release

Frolov

Lizunov

Dunina-Barkovskaya

et al. 2003

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…With few exceptions, such as a study of the transition between the helicoid and the catenoid (12), little attention has been paid to transitions that take one surface to another. On the other hand, topological transitions have been studied extensively in fluid dynamics, with an emphasis on interface collapse in viscous flows (2,4), and on the more inviscid problems of fluid and soap-film motion (13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18) and networks of film junctions (19). Yet one elementary question remains unanswered: What is the process that takes a one-sided film to a two-sided one?…”

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confidence: 99%

Soap-film Möbius strip changes topology with a twist singularity

Goldstein

Moffatt

Pesci

et al. 2010

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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It is well-known that a soap film spanning a looped wire can have the topology of a Möbius strip and that deformations of the wire can induce a transformation to a two-sided film, but the process by which this transformation is achieved has remained unknown. Experimental studies presented here show that this process consists of a collapse of the film toward the boundary that produces a previously unrecognized finite-time twist singularity that changes the linking number of the film's Plateau border and the centerline of the wire. We conjecture that it is a general feature of this type of transition that the singularity always occurs at the surface boundary. The change in linking number is shown to be a consequence of a viscous reconnection of the Plateau border at the moment of the singularity. High-speed imaging of the collapse dynamics of the film's throat, similar to that of the central opening of a catenoid, reveals a crossover between two power laws. Far from the singularity, it is suggested that the collapse is controlled by dissipation within the fluid film surrounding the wire, whereas closer to the transition the power law has the classical form arising from a balance between air inertia and surface tension. Analytical and numerical studies of minimal surfaces and ruled surfaces are used to gain insight into the energetics underlying the transition and the twisted geometry in the neighborhood of the singularity. A number of challenging mathematical questions arising from these observations are posed.topological transition | contact line

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“…The catenoid is a well studied and understood surface, whose stability limits and shape change dynamics are well documented [1,2]. More generally, the catenoid is an example of a minimal surface, an interface whose shape is governed by surface tension and the minimization of free surface energy.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%