Solitary shock waves and adiabatic phase transition in lipid interfaces and nerves.

Abstract

This study shows that the stability of solitary waves excited in a lipid monolayer near a phase transition requires positive curvature of the adiabats, a known necessary condition in shock compression science. It is further shown that the condition results in a threshold for excitation, saturation of the wave's amplitude, and the splitting of the wave at the phase boundaries. Splitting in particular confirms that a hydrated lipid interface can undergo condensation on adiabatic heating, thus showing retrograde behavior. Finally, using the theoretical insights and state dependence of conduction velocity in nerves, the curvature of the adiabatic state diagram is shown to be closely tied to the thermodynamic blockage of nerve pulse propagation.