arXiv subjects

Yuan-Nan Young

Publications and source records attributed to Yuan-Nan Young.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Translation of a spherical viscous drop driven by localized forcing in Stokes flow

Localized forcing in the fluid inside or outside a viscous drop can drive drop translation. Using the Lorentz reciprocal theorem, we derive an integral expression for the translational velocity of a spherical Newtonian drop subject to localized force and source distributions in either fluid and to interfacial traction. For a clean drop, we obtain explicit responses to Stokeslets, force dipoles, rotlets, general second force moments, and source dipoles as functions of position, orientation, and viscosity ratio. Interior forcing obeys a finite selection rule: only force moments through second order and the first source moment contribute directly to translation. Exterior forcing can couple to multipoles of all orders and produces distance-dependent responses. Although different enclosed singularities can produce the same drop velocity, resolving their exterior flows in drop-centered spherical Stokes modes provides additional constraints on the underlying forcing. We also distinguish regularized force distributions, governed by prescribed kernel moments, from resolved rigid particles, governed by low-order surface-traction moments and prescribed slip. The framework unifies these representations and shows how exterior-flow measurements provide information beyond drop translation, laying the foundation for constructing squirmer-like viscous drop solutions with controllable far-field behaviors.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2026

Modeling and Simulation of Open Membranes in Stokes Flow with Mixed-Dimensional Coupling

In this work, we present a mathematical and computational framework to model the dynamics of open lipid bilayer membranes interacting with ambient Stokes flow. The model explicitly couples the three-dimensional viscous fluid, the two-dimensional membrane surface, and its one-dimensional free edge. We develop an axisymmetric hybrid BEM-FEM method that solves the problem with an effective one-dimensional formulation. A key component is a local mesh refinement strategy designed to accurately resolve singularities and boundary layers originating at the membrane edge. Several numerical examples are provided to showcase its ability to capture intricate edge dynamics and multiscale fluid-membrane coupling.

math.NA↗

arXiv2026

Stability and equilibria of a compressible elastic membrane in Stokes flow

We formulate a continuum model for a compressible lipid-bilayer membrane immersed in Stokes flow, replacing exact local area inextensibility by conservation of an areal phospholipid density. The membrane free energy combines Helfrich bending, spontaneous curvature, and a finite area-compression penalty, so that membrane tension becomes a constitutive response to lipid-density variation rather than a Lagrange multiplier enforcing local area conservation. The resulting interfacial stress includes normal elastic forces and tangential Marangoni stresses generated by lipid redistribution; these stresses arise from membrane compressibility and can produce an effective negative tension when the local lipid density exceeds its preferred value. We further derive the linear stability of circular membranes in two dimensions and spherical membranes in three dimensions under full Stokes hydrodynamic coupling. In both cases, bending stabilizes the base shape, while excess lipid density destabilizes it by favoring increased membrane area. The first instability occurs in the lowest nontrivial shape mode, m = 2 in two dimensions and j = 2 in three dimensions. Energy expansions near onset show that the two-dimensional instability is a pitchfork bifurcation, whereas the three-dimensional instability is generically transcritical because prolate and oblate perturbations are geometrically distinct. These results provide a controlled compressible extension of classical vesicle mechanics and directly connect lipid-density variation, membrane tension, hydrodynamic coupling, and shape instability.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2026

Collinear Swimming of a Squirmer Pair in Newtonian and Shear-Thinning Fluids

Pairwise hydrodynamic interactions of microswimmers form the fundamental building blocks for understanding their more complex collective behaviors. In this work, we revisit the canonical problem of two interacting squirmers swimming along their common line of centers in both Newtonian and shear-thinning fluids. For the Newtonian case, we first derive an exact, closed-form solution for the axisymmetric Stokes flow generated by the interacting pair, thereby complementing prior analyses based on the reciprocal theorem approach by providing direct access to the detailed knowledge of the flow around the swimmers. The analytical solution is then used to cross-validate numerical simulations based on the finite element method. The combined theoretical and numerical investigation reveals co-swimming configurations in which the two squirmers develop identical velocities over a range of separations. We rationalize these behaviors through symmetry arguments and quantify their propulsion performance in terms of the speed and energetic cost of swimming. Furthermore, motivated by the prevalence of shear-thinning biological fluids encountered by microswimmers, we examine how this ubiquitous non-Newtonian rheological behavior modifies the propulsion characteristics of these co-swimming pairs. Taken together, our results establish quantitative benchmarks for interacting squirmers in both Newtonian and shear-thinning fluids, laying the groundwork for future studies of many-body dynamics of microswimmers in complex fluid environments.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2025

Soft-Lubrication Drainage and Rupture in Particle-Driven Vesicles

The deformation and rupture of a lipid vesicle due to the forced normal approach of an inclusion are essential for optimizing the design of magnetic giant unilamellar vesicles [magGUVs, Malik et al., Nanoscale 17, 13720 (2025)], with implications for active colloid-membrane interactions and cellular-scale chemical delivery. Here, we investigate vesicles propelled by a force-driven rigid inclusion and reveal a robust elastohydrodynamic mechanism: the inclusion outpaces the vesicle, sustaining a thinning film that drains symmetrically and self-similarly, largely independent of initial shape. For soft membranes and small inclusions, coupling drives a monotonic tension increase that can exceed the lysis tension. Evaluating the maximal tension over a delivery distance, we map an operating window in vesicle reduced area and size relative to the inclusion.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2024

Hydrodynamic interactions between a sedimenting squirmer and a planar wall

The hydrodynamic interactions between a sedimenting microswimmer and a solid wall have ubiquitous biological and technological applications. A plethora of gravity-induced swimming dynamics near a planar no-slip wall provides a platform for designing artificial microswimmers that can generate directed propulsion through their translation-rotation coupling near a wall. In this work we provide exact solutions for a squirmer (a model swimmer of spherical shape with a prescribed slip velocity) facing either towards or away from a planar wall perpendicular to gravity. These exact solutions are used to validate a numerical code based on the boundary integral method with an adaptive mesh for distances from the wall down to 0.1% of the squirmer radius. This boundary integral code is then used to investigate the rich gravity-induced dynamics near a wall, mapping out the detailed bifurcation structures of the swimming dynamics in terms of orientation and distance to the wall. Simulation results show that a squirmer may transverse along the wall, move to a fixed point at a given height with a fixed orientation in a monotonic way or in an oscillatory fashion, or oscillate in a limit cycle in the presence of wall repulsion.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2024

A first-principles geometric model for dynamics of motor-driven centrosomal asters

The centrosomal aster is a mobile cellular organelle that exerts and transmits forces necessary for nuclear migration and spindle positioning. Recent experimental and theoretical studies of nematode and human cells demonstrate that pulling forces on asters by cortical force generators are dominant during such processes. We present a comprehensive investigation of a first-principles model of aster dynamics, the S-model (S for stoichiometry), based solely on such forces. The model evolves the astral centrosome position, a probability field of cell-surface motor occupancy by centrosomal microtubules (under an assumption of stoichiometric binding), and free boundaries of unattached, growing microtubules. We show how cell shape affects the centering stability of the aster, and its transition to oscillations with increasing motor number. Seeking to understand observations in single-cell nematode embryos, we use accurate simulations to examine the nonlinear structures of the bifurcations, and demonstrate the importance of binding domain overlap to interpreting genetic perturbation experiments. We find a rich dynamical landscape, dependent upon cell shape, such as internal equatorial orbits of asters that can be seen as traveling wave solutions. Finally, we study the interactions of multiple asters and demonstrate an effective mutual repulsion due to their competition for cortical force generators. We find, amazingly, that asters can relax onto the vertices of platonic and non-platonic solids, closely mirroring the results of the classical Thomson problem for energy-minimizing configurations of electrons constrained to a sphere and interacting via repulsive Coulomb potentials. Our findings both explain experimental observations, providing insights into the mechanisms governing spindle positioning and cell division dynamics, and show the possibility of new nonlinear phenomena in cell biology.

physics.bio-ph↗

arXiv2021

Two-Dimensional Vesicle Hydrodynamics from Hydrophobic Attraction Potential

We develop a new model, to our knowledge, for the many-body hydrodynamics of amphiphilic Janus particles suspended in a viscous background flow. The Janus particles interact through a hydrophobic attraction potential that leads to self-assembly into bilayer structures. We adopt an efficient integral equation method for solving the screened Laplace equation for hydrophobic attraction and for solving the mobility problem for hydrodynamic interactions. The integral equation formulation accurately captures both interactions for near touched boundaries. Under a linear shear flow, we observe the tank-treading deformation in a two-dimensional vesicle made of Janus particles. The results yield measurements of inter-monolayer friction, membrane permeability, and at large shear rates, membrane rupture. The simulations studies include a vesicle in parabolic flow and vesicle-vesicle interactions in shear and extensional flows. The hydrodynamics of the Janus particles vesicle replicate the behaviour of an inextensible elastic vesicle membrane.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2019

Multiscale Hydrophobic Lipid Dynamics Simulated by Efficient Integral Equation Methods

In this paper, we first develop a mathematical model for long-range, hydrophobic attraction between amphiphilic particles. The non-pairwise interactions follow from the first variation of a hydrophobic attraction domain functional. The variation yields a hydrophobic stress that is used to numerically calculate trajectories for a collection of two-dimensional particles. The functional minimizer that accounts for hydrophobicity at molecular-aqueous interfaces is a solution to a boundary value problem of the screened Laplace equation. We reformulate the boundary value problem as a second-kind integral equation (SKIE), discretize the SKIE using a Nyström discretization and `Quadrature by Expansion' (QBX) and solve the resulting linear system iteratively using GMRES. We evaluate the required layer potentials using the `GIGAQBX' fast algorithm, a variant of the Fast Multipole Method (FMM), yielding the required particle interactions with asymptotically optimal cost. The entire scheme is adaptive, high-order, and capable of handling close-to-touching geometry. The simulated particle systems exhibit a variety of multiscale behaviors over both time and length: Over short time scales, the numerical results show self-assembly for model lipid particles. For large system simulations, the particles form realistic configurations like micelles and bilayers. Over long time scales, the bilayer shapes emerging from the simulation appear to minimize a form of bending energy.

math.NA↗

arXiv2018

From Electrodiffusion Theory to the Electrohydrodynamics of Leaky Dielectrics through the Weak Electrolyte Limit

The Taylor-Melcher (TM) model is the standard model for describing the dynamics of poorly conducting leaky dielectric fluids under an electric field. The TM model treats the fluids as Ohmic conductors, without modeling the underlying ion dynamics. On the other hand, electrodiffusion models, which have been successful in describing electrokinetic phenomena, incorporate ionic concentration dynamics. Mathematical reconciliation of the electrodiffusion picture and the TM model has been a major issue for electrohydrodynamic theory. Here, we derive the TM model from an electrodiffusion model in which we explicitly model the electrochemistry of ion dissociation. We introduce salt dissociation reaction terms in the bulk electrodiffusion equations and take the limit in which the salt dissociation is weak; the assumption of weak dissociation corresponds to the fact that the TM model describes poor conductors. Together with the assumption that the Debye length is small, we derive the TM model with or without the surface charge convection term depending upon the scaling of relevant dimensionless parameters. An important quantity that emerges is the Galvani potential (GP), the jump in voltage across the liquid-liquid interface between the two leaky dielectric media; the GP arises as a natural consequence of the interfacial boundary conditions for the ionic concentrations, and is absent under certain parametric conditions. When the GP is absent, we recover the TM model. Our analysis also reveals the structure of the Debye layer at the liquid-liquid interface, which suggests how interfacial singularities may arise under strong imposed electric fields. In the presence of a non-zero GP, our model predicts that the liquid droplet will drift under an imposed electric field, the velocity of which is computed explicitly to leading order.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2014

Efficient Brownian Dynamics Simulation of Single DNA with Hydrodynamic Interactions in Linear Flows

The coarse-grained molecular dynamics (MD) or Brownian dynamics (BD) simulation is a particle-based approach that has been applied to a wide range of biological problems that involve interactions with surrounding fluid molecules or the so-called hydrodynamic interactions (HIs). In this paper, an efficient algorithm is proposed to simulate the motion of a single DNA molecule in linear flows. The algorithm utilizes the integraing factor to cope with the effect of the linear flow of the surrounding fluid and applies the Metropolis method (MM) in [N. Bou-Rabee, A. Donev, and E. Vanden-Eijnden, Multiscale Model. Simul. 12, 781 (2014)] to achieve more efficient BD simulation. Thus our method permits much larger time step size than previous methods while still maintaining the stability of the BD simulation, which is advantageous for long-time BD simulation. Our numerical results on $λ$-DNA agree very well with both experimental data and previous simulation results. Finally, when combined with fast algorithms such as the fast multipole method which has nearly optimal complexity in the total number of beads, the resulting method is parallelizable, scalable to large systems, and stable for large time step size, thus making the long-time large-scale BD simulation within practical reach. This will be useful for the study of membranes, long-chain molecules, and a large collection of molecules in the fluids.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2003

Whirling Hexagons and Defect Chaos in Hexagonal Non-Boussinesq Convection

We study hexagon patterns in non-Boussinesq convection of a thin rotating layer of water. For realistic parameters and boundary conditions we identify various linear instabilities of the pattern. We focus on the dynamics arising from an oscillatory side-band instability that leads to a spatially disordered chaotic state characterized by oscillating (whirling) hexagons. Using triangulation we obtain the distribution functions for the number of pentagonal and heptagonal convection cells. In contrast to the results found for defect chaos in the complex Ginzburg-Landau equation and in inclined-layer convection, the distribution functions can show deviations from a squared Poisson distribution that suggest non-trivial correlations between the defects.

nlin.PS↗

arXiv2002

Penta-hepta defect chaos in a model for rotating hexagonal convection

In a model for rotating non-Boussinesq convection with mean flow we identify a regime of spatio-temporal chaos that is based on a hexagonal planform and is sustained by the {\it induced nucleation} of dislocations by penta-hepta defects. The probability distribution function for the number of defects deviates substantially from the usually observed Poisson-type distribution. It implies strong correlations between the defects inthe form of density-dependent creation and annihilation rates of defects. We extract these rates from the distribution function and also directly from the defect dynamics.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2002

Induced defect nucleation and side-band instabilities in hexagons with rotation and mean flow

The combined effect of mean flow and rotation on hexagonal patterns is investigated using Ginzburg-Landau equations that include nonlinear gradient terms as well as the nonlocal coupling provided by the mean flow. Long-wave and short-wave side-band instabilities are determined. Due to the nonlinear gradient terms and enhanced by the mean flow, the penta-hepta defects can become unstable to the induced nucleation of dislocations in the defect-free amplitude, which can lead to the proliferation of penta-hepta defects and persistent spatio-temporal chaos. For individual penta-hepta defects the nonlinear gradient terms enhance climbing or gliding motion, depending on whether they break the chiral symmetry or not.

nlin.CD↗

arXiv2002

Weakly non-linear analysis of wind-driven gravity waves

We study the weakly non-linear development of shear-driven gravity waves, and investigate the mixing properties of the finite amplitude solutions. Calculations to date have been restricted to the linear theory, which predicts that gravity waves are amplified by an influx of energy through the critical layer, where the velocity of the wind equals the wave phase velocity. Because of the presence of a critical layer, ordinary weakly non-linear methods fail; in this paper, we use a rescaling at the critical layer and matched asymptotics to derive an amplitude equation for the most unstable wave, under the simplifying assumption that the physical domain is periodic. These amplitude equations are solved numerically, in their quasi-steady limit, for the cases of small density ratio (applicable to oceanography), and for arbitrary density ratio but strong stratification (for more general physical/astrophysical situations). In addition to the familiar asymptotic growth found in other inviscid flow, we find that, for the air over water case (provided the maximum wind velocity is in the range of $0.2\mpers \sim 1\mpers$), the single mode transitions from exponential to algebraic growth when the amplitude of the wave is as small as $h\sim 10^{-5}λ$; hence, it may be difficult to observe the linear regime for this case in numerical simulations. We also find that the weakly non-linear flow allows for super-diffusive particle transport with an exponent $\sim 3/2$, consistent with Venkataramani's results.

physics.flu-dyn↗