Sedimentation-induced tether on a settling vesicle.
Destabilization of soft interfaces into thin cylindrical filaments under external stresses is ubiquitous and is generally the first step toward breakup. We show that such filaments, called tethers, emerge from a vesicle subjected to gravity. Contrary to the pendant drop experiment, we demonstrate that the bending rigidity, a specific membrane property of vesicles, ensures the tethers reach a stationary state. Moreover, unlike point-like force experiments, we show that the family of shapes is continuous.
Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Centrale Marseille, IRPHE UMR 7342, 13384 Marseille, France. boedec@irphe.univ-mrs.fr
Gwenn
G
Boedec
Marc
M
Jaeger
Marc
M
Leonetti
D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D002462:Cell Membrane