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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 7: Posters I
BP 7.17: Poster
Monday, February 25, 2008, 17:00–19:30, Poster A
Rigidity percolation in networks of stiff fibers — •Boris Schaefer1, Claus Heussinger1,2, and Erwin Frey1 — 1Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics, LMU München, Theresienstraße 37, 80333 München — 2Université Lyon I, LPMCN, Villeurbanne, France
We study the elasticity in random networks of stiff fibers. It is well known that by decreasing the density of fibers, these networks lose their stability and undergo a rigidity percolation transition that is distinct from the usual connectivity percolation. We present a self-consistent theory on Cayley-tree level that allows to determine both the percolation threshold as well as the critical exponent for the elastic modulus. The theory is based on the recognition that for stiff fibers stretching excitations are suppressed and the elastic energy is dominated by the bending mode ("floppy modes"). By suitably averaging over the quenched random structure we pin-point the role of architectural features, such as network anisotropy, on the critical properties of the system.