Modelling Virus Contact Mechanics under Atomic Force Imaging Conditions

Autor: Piersanti, Paolo, White, Kristen, Dragnea, Bogdan, Temam, Roger
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Druh dokumentu: Working Paper
DOI: 10.1080/00036811.2022.2044027
Popis: In this paper we present a discrete model governing the deformation of a convex regular polygon subjected not to cross a given flat rigid surface, on which it initially lies in correspondence of one point only. First, we set up the model in the form of a set of variational inequalities posed over a non-empty, closed and convex subset of a suitable Euclidean space. Secondly, we show the existence and uniqueness of the solution. The model provides a simplified illustration of processes involved in virus imaging by atomic force microscopy: adhesion to a surface, distributed strain, relaxation to a shape that balances adhesion and elastic forces. The analysis of numerical simulations results based on this model opens a new way of estimating the contact area and elastic parameters in virus contact mechanics studies.
Databáze: arXiv