Abstract
The dispersed domains which result from phase separation in phospholipid monolayers have long been known to exhibit complex and intriguing geometries. Over the last decade, much work has gone into the theoretical prediction of these shapes using energy minimization calculations. While such studies have provided much insight into the behavior of domain shapes, they ignore the effect of entropy and thus are truly applicable only as the temperature approaches absolute zero. In this paper, we present a Monte Carlo approach for the prediction of domain shapes through simulation, thereby introducing temperature as an explicit parameter. Where applicable, results from this simulation are compared to prior shape calculations and to experimental results. We find that the first order transition predicted between circular and bilobed domains applies only at low temperature. Moreover, we find that bilobed domains should only be found when the domain elongation occurs slowly; rapid elongation produces multiple branched domains. Finally, we find that the width of these branches in elongated domains is independent of both the number of branches and the size of the domain. @S1063-651X~97!01701-7#
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.