Midwest Mechanics Seminar Series: Boundary-value Problems in the Theory of Lipid Membranes

The mechanics of lipid bilayers is discussed in the context of the theory of elastic shells with fluid symmetry. New contact conditions are developed for lipid membranes interacting with curved substrates along their edges. These include the anchoring conditions familiar from liquid-crystal theory and accommodate non-uniform membranes and non-uniform adhesion between a bulk fluid or membrane and a rigid substrate. The theory is illustrated through explicit solutions and numerical simulations.

Biographical Information: Professor Steigmann does not hold any degrees in Mechanical Engineering. His B.Sc. and M.Sc. are in Aeronautics ('79, U. Mich.-Ann Arbor and '82, M.I.T., respectively) and his Ph.D. is in Applied Mathematics ('88, Brown U.). Prior to joining the Mechanical Engineering department at Cal-Berkeley in 1997, Steigmann was on the faculty of the University of Alberta. Steigmann's research interests include continuum mechanics, shell theory, finite elasticity, variational methods, stability, surface stress, capillary phenomena, and the mechanics of thin films. He serves on the editorial boards of numerous journals and, since 1999, has been the solid mechanics editor for ZAMP (Zeitschrift fur Angewandte Mathematik und Physik).