Microphysical Derivation of the Canham–Helfrich Free-Energy Density
Brian Seguin (McGill University), Eliot Fried (McGill University)
Mechanics and Physics of Biological Cells
Mon 9:00 - 10:30
Barus-Holley 166
The Canham-Helfrich energy for a lipid bilayer has drawn considerable attention. Aside from the mean and Gaussian curvatures, this energy involves a spontaneous mean-curvature that encompasses information regarding the preferred, natural shape of the lipid bilayer. I will present a straightforward microphysical argument to justify the form of the Canham-Helfrich energy. This derivation (i) provides a justification for the common assertion that spontaneous curvature originates primarily from asymmetry between the leaflets comprising a bilayer and (ii) furnishes expressions for the splay and saddle-splay moduli in terms of derivatives of the underlying potential. This is joint work with Eliot Fried.