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Abdelilah Benyoussef

Publications and source records attributed to Abdelilah Benyoussef.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Silicene nanoribbons on an insulating thin film

Silicene, a new two-dimensional (2D) material has attracted intense research because of the ubiquitous use of silicon in modern technology. However, producing free-standing silicene has proved to be a huge challenge. Until now, silicene could be synthesized only on metal surfaces where it naturally forms strong interactions with the metal substrate that modify its electronic properties. Here, we report the first experimental evidence of silicene sheet on an insulating NaCl thin film. This work represents a major breakthrough; for the study of the intrinsic properties of silicene, and by extension to other 2D materials that have so far only been grown on metal surfaces.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

Erythrocyte-erythrocyte aggregation dynamics under shear flow

Red blood cells (RBCs) -- erythrocytes -- suspended in plasma tend to aggregate and form rouleaux. During aggregation the first stage consists in the formation of RBC doublets [Blood cells, molecules, and diseases 25, 339 (1999)]. While aggregates are normally dissociated by moderate flow stresses, under some pathological conditions the aggregation becomes irreversible, which leads to high blood viscosity and vessel occlusion. We perform here two-dimensional simulations to study the doublet dynamics under shear flow in different conditions and its impact on rheology. We sum up our results on the dynamics of doublet in a rich phase diagram in the parameter space (flow strength, adhesion energy) showing four different types of doublet configurations and dynamics. We find that membrane tank-treading plays an important role in doublet disaggregation, in agreement with experiments on RBCs. A remarkable feature found here is that when a single cell performs tumbling (by increasing vesicle internal viscosity) the doublet formed due to adhesion (even very weak) remains stable even under a very strong shear rate. It is seen in this regime that an increase of shear rate induces an adaptation of the doublet conformation allowing the aggregate to resist cell-cell detachment. We show that the normalized effective viscosity of doublet suspension increases significantly with the adhesion energy, a fact which should affect blood perfusion in microcirculation.

physics.bio-ph↗

Vesicle dynamics in confined steady and harmonically modulated Poiseuille flows

We present a numerical study of the time-dependent motion of a two-dimensional vesicle in a channel under an imposed flow. In a Poiseuille flow the shape of the vesicle depends on the flow strength, the mechanical properties of the membrane, and the width of the channel as reported in the past. This study is focused on the centered snaking (CSn) shape, where the vesicle shows an oscillatory motion like a swimmer flagella even though the flow is stationary. We quantify this behavior by the amplitude and frequency of the oscillations of the vesicle's center of mass. We observe regions in parameter space, where the CSn coexists with the parachute or the unconfined slipper. The influence of an amplitude modulation of the imposed flow on the dynamics and shape of the snaking vesicle is also investigated. For large modulation amplitudes transitions to static shapes are observed. A smaller modulation amplitude induces a modulation in amplitude and frequency of the center of mass of the snaking vesicle. In a certain parameter range we find that the center of mass oscillates with a constant envelope indicating the presence of at least two stable states.

physics.bio-ph↗

Predicting optimal hematocrit in silico

Optimal hematocrit $H_o$ maximizes oxygen transport. In healthy humans, the average hematocrit $H$ is in the range of 40-45$\%$, but it can significantly change in blood pathologies such as severe anemia (low $H$) and polycythemia (high $H$). Whether the hematocrit level in humans corresponds to the optimal one is a long standing physiological question. Here, using numerical simulations with the Lattice Boltzmann method and two mechanical models of the red blood cell (RBC) we predict the optimal hematocrit, and explore how altering the mechanical properties of RBCs affects $H_o$. We develop a simplified analytical theory that accounts for results obtained from numerical simulations and provides insight into the physical mechanisms determining $H_o$. Our numerical and analytical models can easily be modified to incorporate a wide range of mechanical properties of RBCs as well as other soft particles thereby providing means for the rational design of blood substitutes. Our work lays the foundations for systematic theoretical study of the optimal hematocrit and its link with pathological RBCs associated with various diseases (e.g. sickle cell anemia, diabetes mellitus, malaria, elliptocytosis).

cond-mat.soft↗

Vesicle Dynamics in a Confined Poiseuille Flow: From Steady-State to Chaos

Red blood cells (RBCs) are the major component of blood and the flow of blood is dictated by that of RBCs. We employ vesicles, which consist of closed bilayer membranes enclosing a fluid, as a model system to study the behavior of RBCs under a confined Poiseuille flow. We extensively explore two main parameters: i) the degree of confinement of vesicles within the channel, and ii) the flow strength. Rich and complex dynamics for vesicles are revealed ranging from steady-state shapes (in the form of parachute and slipper) to chaotic dynamics of shape. Chaos occurs through a cascade of multiple periodic oscillations of the vesicle shape. We summarize our results in a phase diagram in the parameter plane (degree of confinement, flow strength). This finding highlights the level of complexity of a flowing vesicle in the small Reynolds number where the flow is laminar in the absence of vesicles and can be rendered turbulent due to elasticity of vesicles.

nlin.CD↗

The Effect of absorbing sites on the one-dimensional cellular automaton traffic flow with open boundaries

The effect of the absorbing sites with an absorbing rate $β_{0}$, in both one absorbing site (one way out) and two absorbing sites (two ways out) in a road, on the traffic flow phase transition is investigated using numerical simulations in the one-dimensional cellular automaton traffic flow model with open boundaries using parallel dynamics.In the case of one way out, there exist a critical position of the way out $ i_{c1}$ below which the current is constant for $β_{0}$$<$$β_{0c2}$ and decreases when increasing $β_{0}$ for $β_{0}$$>$$β_{0c2}$. When the way out is located at a position greater than $ i_{c2}$, the current increases with $β_{0}$ for $β_{0}$$<$$β_{0c1}$ and becomes constant for any value of $β_{0}$ greater than $β_{0c1}$. While, when the way out is located at any position between $ i_{c1}$ and $ i_{c2}$ ($ i_{c1}$$<$$ i_{c2}$), the current increases, for $β_{0}$$<$$β_{0c1}$, with $β_{0}$ and becomes constant for $β_{0c1}$$<$$β_{0}$$<$$β_{0c2}$ and decreases with $β_{0}$ for $β_{0}$$>$$β_{0c2}$. In the later case the density undergoes two successive first order transitions; from high density to maximal current phase at $β_{0}$$=$$β_{0c1}$ and from intermediate density to the low one at $β_{0}$$=$$β_{0c2}$. In the case of two ways out located respectively at the positions $ i_{1}$ and $ i_{2}$, the two successive transitions occur only when the distance $i_{2}$-$i_{1}$ separating the two ways is smaller than a critical distance $d_{c}$. Phase diagrams in the ($α,β_{0}$), ($β,β_{0}$) and ($i_{1},β_{0}$) planes are established. It is found that the transitions between Free traffic, Congested traffic and maximal current phase are first order.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗