arXiv subjects

Chaouqi Misbah

Publications and source records attributed to Chaouqi Misbah.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2017

The buckling instability of aggregating red blood cells

Plasma proteins such as fibrinogen induce the aggregation of red blood cells (RBC) into rouleaux, which are responsible for the pronounced shear thinning behavior of blood, control the erythro- cyte sedimentation rate (ESR) a common hematological test and are involved in many situations of physiological relevance such as structuration of blood in the microcirculation or clot formation in pathological situations. Confocal microscopy is used to characterize the shape of RBCs within rouleaux at equilibrium as a function of macromolecular concentration, revealing the diversity of contact zone morphology. Three different configurations that have only been partly predicted before are identified, namely parachute, male-female and sigmoid shapes, and quantitatively recovered by numerical simulations. A detailed experimental and theoretical analysis of clusters of two cells shows that the deformation increases nonlinearly with the interaction energy. Models indicate a forward bifurcation in which the contacting membrane undergoes a buckling instability from a flat to a de- formed contact zone at a critical value of the interaction energy. These results are not only relevant for the understanding of the morphology and stability of RBC aggregates, but also for a whole class of interacting soft deformable objects such as vesicles, capsules or cells in tissues.

physics.bio-ph↗

arXiv2016

Cluster of red blood cells in microcapillary flow: hydrodynamic versus macromolecule induced interaction

We present experiments on RBCs that flow through microcapillaries under physiological conditions. We show that the RBC clusters form as a subtle imbrication between hydrodynamics interaction and adhesion forces because of plasma proteins. Clusters form along the capillaries and macromolecule-induced adhesion contribute to their stability. However, at high yet physiological flow velocities, shear stresses overcome part of the adhesion forces, and cluster stabilization due to hydrodynamics becomes stronger. For the case of pure hydrodynamic interaction, cell-to-cell distances have a pronounced bimodal distribution. Our 2D-numerical simulations on vesicles captures the transition between adhesive and non-adhesive clusters at different flow velocities.

physics.bio-ph↗

arXiv2016

Inversion of hematocrit partition at microfluidic bifurcations

Partitioning of red blood cells (RBCs) at the level of bifurcations in the microcirculatory system affects many physiological functions yet it remains poorly understood. We address this problem by using T-shaped microfluidic bifurcations as a model. Our computer simulations and in vitro experiments reveal that the hematocrit ($ϕ_0$) partition depends strongly on RBC deformability, as long as $ϕ_0 <20$% (within the normal range in microcirculation), and can even lead to complete deprivation of RBCs in a child branch. Furthermore, we discover a deviation from the Zweifach-Fung effect which states that the child branch with lower flow rate recruits less RBCs than the higher flow rate child branch. At small enough $ϕ_0$, we get the inverse scenario, and the hematocrit in the lower flow rate child branch is even higher than in the parent vessel. We explain this result by an intricate up-stream RBC organization and we highlight the extreme dependence of RBC transport on geometrical and cell mechanical properties. These parameters can lead to unexpected behaviors with consequences on the microcirculatory function and oxygen delivery in healthy and pathological conditions.

physics.bio-ph↗

arXiv2015

Surface wave excitations and backflow effect over dense polymer brushes

Polymer brushes are increasingly used to tailor surface physicochemistry for various applications such as wetting, adhesion of biological objects, implantable devices, etc. We perform Dissipative Particle Dynamics simulations to study the behavior of dense polymer brushes under flow in a slit-pore channel. We discover that the system displays flow inversion at the brush interface for several disconnected ranges of the imposed flow. We associate such phenomenon to collective polymer dynamics: a wave propagating on the brush surface. The relation between the wavelength, the amplitude and the propagation speed of the flow-generated wave is consistent with the solution of the Stokes equations when an imposed traveling wave is assumed as boundary condition (the famous Taylor's swimmer).

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2014

Spontaneous polarization in an interfacial growth model for actin filament networks with a rigorous mechano-chemical coupling

Many processes in eukaryotic cells, including cell motility, rely on the growth of branched actin networks from surfaces. Despite its central role the mechano-chemical coupling mechanisms which guide the growth process are poorly understood, and a general continuum description combining growth and mechanics is lacking. We develop a theory that bridges the gap between mesoscale and continuum limit and propose a general framework providing the evolution law of actin networks growing under stress. This formulation opens an area for the systematic study of actin dynamics in arbitrary geometries. Our framework predicts a morphological instability of actin growth on a rigid sphere, leading to a spontaneous polarization of the network with a mode selection corresponding to a comet, as reported experimentally. We show that the mechanics of the contact between the network and the surface plays a crucial role, in that it determines directly the existence of the instability. We extract scaling laws relating growth dynamics and network properties offering basic perspectives for new experiments on growing actin networks.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2014

Viscoelastic transient of confined Red Blood Cells

The unique ability of a red blood cell to flow through extremely small microcapillaries depends on the viscoelastic properties of its membrane. Here, we study in vitro the response time upon flow startup exhibited by red blood cells confined into microchannels. We show that the characteristic transient time depends on the imposed flow strength, and that such a dependence gives access to both the effective viscosity and the elastic modulus controlling the temporal response of red cells. A simple theoretical analysis of our experimental data, validated by numerical simulations, further allows us to compute an estimate for the two-dimensional membrane viscosity of red blood cells, $η_{mem}^{2D}\sim 10^{-7}$ N$\cdot$s$\cdot$m$^{-1}$. By comparing our results with those from previous studies, we discuss and clarify the origin of the discrepancies found in the literature regarding the determination of $η_{mem}^{2D}$, and reconcile seemingly conflicting conclusions from previous works.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2014

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↗

arXiv2014

Universality classes for unstable crystal growth

Universality has been a key concept for the classification of equilibrium critical phenomena, allowing associations among different physical processes and models. When dealing with non-equilibrium problems, however, the distinction in universality classes is not as clear and few are the examples, as phase separation and kinetic roughening, for which universality has allowed to classify results in a general spirit. Here we focus on an out-of-equilibrium case, unstable crystal growth, lying in between phase ordering and pattern formation. We consider a well established 2+1 dimensional family of continuum nonlinear equations for the local height $h(\mathbf{x},t)$ of a crystal surface having the general form ${\partial_t h(\mathbf{x},t)} = -\mathbf{\nabla}\cdot {[\mathbf{j}(\nabla h) + \mathbf{\nabla}(\nabla^2 h)]}$: $\mathbf{j}(\nabla h)$ is an arbitrary function, which is linear for small $\nabla h$, and whose structure expresses instabilities which lead to the formation of pyramid-like structures of planar size $L$ and height $H$. Our task is the choice and calculation of the quantities that can operate as critical exponents, together with the discussion of what is relevant or not to the definition of our universality class. These aims are achieved by means of a perturbative, multiscale analysis of our model, leading to phase diffusion equations whose diffusion coefficients encapsulate all relevant informations on dynamics. We identify two critical exponents: i) the coarsening exponent, $n$, controlling the increase in time of the typical size of the pattern, $L\sim t^n$; ii) the exponent $β$, controlling the increase in time of the typical slope of the pattern, $M \sim t^β$ where $M\approx H/L$. Our study reveals that there are only two different universality classes...

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2014

Pairwise hydrodynamic interactions and diffusion in a vesicle suspension

The hydrodynamic interaction of two deformable vesicles in shear flow induces a net displacement, in most cases an increase of their distance in the transverse direction. The statistical average of these interactions leads to shear-induced diffusion in the suspension, both at the level of individual particles which experience a random walk made of successive interactions, and at the level of suspension where a non-linear down-gradient diffusion takes place, an important ingredient in the structuring of suspension flows. We make an experimental and computational study of the interaction of a pair of lipid vesicles in shear flow by varying physical parameters, and investigate the decay of the net lateral displacement with the distance between the streamlines on which the vesicles are initially located. This decay and its dependency upon vesicle properties can be accounted for by a simple model based on the well established law for the lateral drift of a vesicle in the vicinity of a wall. In the semi-dilute regime, a determination of self-diffusion coefficients is presented.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2013

Coarsening dynamics in one dimension: The phase diffusion equation and its numerical implementation

Many nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs) display a coarsening dynamics, i.e., an emerging pattern whose typical length scale $L$ increases with time. The so-called coarsening exponent $n$ characterizes the time dependence of the scale of the pattern, $L(t)\approx t^n$, and coarsening dynamics can be described by a diffusion equation for the phase of the pattern. By means of a multiscale analysis we are able to find the analytical expression of such diffusion equations. Here, we propose a recipe to implement numerically the determination of $D(λ)$, the phase diffusion coefficient, as a function of the wavelength $λ$ of the base steady state $u_0(x)$. $D$ carries all information about coarsening dynamics and, through the relation $|D(L)| \simeq L^2 /t$, it allows us to determine the coarsening exponent. The main conceptual message is that the coarsening exponent is determined without solving a time-dependent equation, but only by inspecting the periodic steady-state solutions. This provides a much faster strategy than a forward time-dependent calculation. We discuss our method for several different PDEs, both conserved and not conserved.

nlin.PS↗

arXiv2013

Space symmetries draw elasticity theory

The foundation of continuum elasticity theory is based on two general principles: (i) the force felt by a small volume element from its surrounding acts only through its surface (the Cauchy principle, justified by the fact that interactions are of short range and are therefore localized at the boundary); (ii) the stress tensor must be symmetric in order to prevent spontaneous rotation of the material points. These two requirements are presented to be necessary in classical textbooks on elasticity theory. By using only basic spatial symmetries it is shown that elastodynamics equations can be derived, for high symmetry crystals (the typical case considered in most textbooks), without evoking any of the two above physical principles.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2012

Coarsening scenarios in unstable crystal growth

Crystal surfaces may undergo thermodynamical as well kinetic, out-of-equilibrium instabilities. We consider the case of mound and pyramid formation, a common phenomenon in crystal growth and a long-standing problem in the field of pattern formation and coarsening dynamics. We are finally able to attack the problem analytically and get rigorous results. Three dynamical scenarios are possible: perpetual coarsening, interrupted coarsening, and no coarsening. In the perpetual coarsening scenario, mound size increases in time as L=t^n, where the coasening exponent is n=1/3 when faceting occurs, otherwise n=1/4.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2012

Step Bunching In Conserved Systems: Scaling And Universality

We study the step bunching process in three different 1D step flow models and obtain scaling relations for the step bunches formed in the long times limit. The first one was introduced by S.Stoyanov [Jap. J.Appl. Phys. 29, (1990) L659] as the simplest 'realistic' model of step bunching due to drift of the adatoms. Here we show that it could lead to (at least) two different types of step bunching, depending on the magnitude of the drift. The other two models are minimal models: the equations for step velocity are constructed ad hoc from two terms with opposite effects - destabilizing and, respectively, stabilizing the regular step train.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2012

Shape diagram of vesicles in Poiseuille flow

Soft bodies flowing in a channel often exhibit parachute-like shapes usually attributed to an increase of hydrodynamic constraint (viscous stress and/or confinement). We show that the presence of a fluid membrane leads to the reverse phenomenon and build a phase diagram of shapes --- which are classified as bullet, croissant and parachute --- in channels of varying aspect ratio. Unexpectedly, shapes are relatively wider in the narrowest direction of the channel. We highlight the role of flow patterns on the membrane in this response to the asymmetry of stress distribution.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2011

Two-dimensional Vesicle dynamics under shear flow: effect of confinement

Dynamics of a single vesicle under shear flow between two parallel plates is studied using two-dimensional lattice-Boltzmann simulations. We first present how we adapted the lattice-Boltzmann method to simulate vesicle dynamics, using an approach known from the immersed boundary method. The fluid flow is computed on an Eulerian regular fixed mesh while the location of the vesicle membrane is tracked by a Lagrangian moving mesh. As benchmarking tests, the known vesicle equilibrium shapes in a fluid at rest are found and the dynamical behavior of a vesicle under simple shear flow is being reproduced. Further, we focus on investigating the effect of the confinement on the dynamics, a question that has received little attention so far. In particular, we study how the vesicle steady inclination angle in the tank-treading regime depends on the degree of confinement. The influence of the confinement on the effective viscosity of the composite fluid is also analyzed. At a given reduced volume (the swelling degree) of a vesicle we find that both the inclination angle, and the membrane tank-treading velocity decrease with increasing confinement. At sufficiently large degree of confinement the tank-treading velocity exhibits a non-monotonous dependence on the reduced volume and the effective viscosity shows a nonlinear behavior.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2010

A constitutive law for cross-linked actin networks by homogenization techniques

Inspired by experiments on the actin driven propulsion of micrometer sized beads we develop and study a minimal mechanical model of a two-dimensional network of stiff elastic filaments grown from the surface of a cylinder. Starting out from a discrete model of the network structure and of its microscopic mechanical behavior we derive a macroscopic constitutive law by homogenization techniques. We calculate the axisymmetric equilibrium state and study its linear stability depending on the microscopic mechanical properties. We find that thin networks are linearly stable, whereas thick networks are unstable. The critical thickness for the change in stability depends on the ratio of the microscopic elastic constants. The instability is induced by the increase in the compressive load on the inner network layers as the thickness of the network increases. The here employed homogenization approach combined with more elaborate microscopic models can serve as a basis to study the evolution of polymerizing actin networks and the mechanism of actin driven motion.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2010

On the complex dynamics of a red blood cell in simple shear flow

Motivated by the reported peculiar dynamics of a red blood cell in shear flow, we develop an analytical theory for the motion of a nearly--spherical fluid particle enclosed by a visco--elastic incompressible interface in linear flows. The analysis explains the effect of particle deformability on the transition from tumbling to swinging as the shear rate increases. Near the transition, intermittent behavior is predicted only if the particle has a fixed shape; the intermittency disappears for a deformable particle. Comparison with available phenomenological models based on the fixed shape assumption highlights their physical foundations and limitations.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2010

New analytical progress in the theory of vesicles under linear flow

Vesicles are becoming a quite popular model for the study of red blood cells (RBCs). This is a free boundary problem which is rather difficult to handle theoretically. Quantitative computational approaches constitute also a challenge. In addition, with numerical studies, it is not easy to scan within a reasonable time the whole parameter space. Therefore, having quantitative analytical results is an essential advance that provides deeper understanding of observed features and can be used to accompany and possibly guide further numerical development. In this paper shape evolution equations for a vesicle in a shear flow are derived analytically with precision being cubic (which is quadratic in previous theories) with regard to the deformation of the vesicle relative to a spherical shape. The phase diagram distinguishing regions of parameters where different types of motion (tank-treading, tumbling and vacillating-breathing) are manifested is presented. This theory reveals unsuspected features: including higher order terms and harmonics (even if they are not directly excited by the shear flow) is necessary, whatever the shape is close to a sphere. Not only does this theory cure a quite large quantitative discrepancy between previous theories and recent experiments and numerical studies, but also it reveals a new phenomenon: the VB mode band in parameter space, which is believed to saturate after a moderate shear rate, exhibits a striking widening beyond a critical shear rate. The widening results from excitation of fourth order harmonic. The obtained phase diagram is in a remarkably good agreement with recent three dimensional numerical simulations based on the boundary integral formulation. Comparison of our results with experiments is systematically made.

cond-mat.soft↗