Dresden 2026 – wissenschaftliches Programm
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DY: Fachverband Dynamik und Statistische Physik
DY 44: Poster: Active Matter, Soft Matter, and Fluids
DY 44.20: Poster
Mittwoch, 11. März 2026, 15:00–18:00, P5
Rheology of Semi-Flexible Polymer Networks — •Sanjay Bhandarkar1 and Peter Sollich1,2 — 1Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Göttingen, Germany — 2Department of Mathematics, King's College London, London
Semiflexible polymers, both in solution and organized into networks, continue to be a major focus in biological physics owing to their critical relevance to the structural and mechanical functions of living systems. The mechanics of the cytoskeleton emerges from the collective properties of semiflexible biopolymers such as actin filaments, microtubules, and intermediate filaments [1,2]. We investigate the rheology of semiflexible polymer networks using molecular dynamics simulations, performing Small-Amplitude Oscillatory Shear (SAOS) tests on permanently cross-linked systems to demonstrate how filament stiffness and monomer density control the frequency dependence of the complex shear modulus G*. In addition, we examine the connection between power-law rheology and the self-similar structural features observed in biopolymer networks and gels [3,4]. We further analyze how crosslinking dynamics and activity-induced stresses modify the network mechanics. Together, this rheological framework lays the groundwork for future models that incorporate more detailed structural and biochemical complexity.
[1] P. Kollmannsberger and B. Fabry, 2011
[2] Broedersz, C. P. and MacKintosh, F. C., 2014
[3] J. Martin, D. Adolf, and J. P. Wilcoxon, 1989
[4] M. Bantawa et al., 2023
Keywords: Semi-flexible Polymers; Biopolymer Networks; Cytoskeleton; Rheology; Molecular Dynamics