title: Fluctuation-induced forces between inclusions in a fluid membrane under tension.
abstract: We develop an exact method to calculate thermal Casimir forces between inclusions of arbitrary shapes and separation, embedded in a fluid membrane whose fluctuations are governed by the combined action of surface tension, bending modulus, and Gaussian rigidity. Each object's shape and mechanical properties enter only through a characteristic matrix, a static analog of the scattering matrix. We calculate the Casimir interaction between two elastic disks embedded in a membrane. In particular, we find that at short separations the interaction is strong and independent of surface tension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA.
authors.forename: Hsiang-Ku
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Roya
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zandi
authors.forename: Umar
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Mohideen
authors.forename: Leonid P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Pryadko
mesh_terms: D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry*; D004548:Elasticity; D019277:Entropy; D008560:Membrane Fluidity; D013500:Surface Tension; D013696:Temperature