title: Concentration fluctuations and phase transitions in coupled modulated bilayers.
abstract: We consider the formation of finite-size domains in lipid bilayers consisting of saturated and hybrid lipids. First, we describe a monolayer model that includes a coupling between a compositional scalar field and a two-dimensional vectorial order parameter. Such a coupling yields an effective two-dimensional microemulsion free energy for the lipid monolayer, and its characteristic length of compositional modulations can be considered as the origin of finite-size domains in biological membranes. Next, we consider a coupled bilayer composed of two modulated monolayers and discuss the static and dynamic properties of concentration fluctuations above the transition temperature. We also investigate the micro-phase separation below the transition temperature and compare the micro-phase separated structures with statics and dynamics of concentration fluctuations above the transition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.forename: Shigeyuki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Komura
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Andelman
mesh_terms: D004655:Emulsions; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry*; D044367:Phase Transition; D013816:Thermodynamics; D044366:Transition Temperature
chemical_list: D004655:Emulsions; D008051:Lipid Bilayers