Nonlinear dynamics of interacting interfaces in electrochemical and biological systems
by Sample, Christine, Ph.D., NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY, 2008, 108 pages; 3331159

Abstract:

Interfacial phenomena play a considerable role in many physical, chemical and biological systems. Some of these systems exhibit interaction of several interfaces. This thesis contains a study of two types of systems characterized by interacting interfaces. First, a theory of the formation of nanoscale porous structures in oxides of metals grown by anodization is developed. It is shown that a growing oxide layer can become unstable which yields the formation of a spatially irregular array of pores. The conditions for the instability of the oxide layer are found. A weakly nonlinear analysis is performed and it is shown that the system evolution near the instability threshold is described by the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation. Farther from threshold, in the long-wave approximation, a system of strongly nonlinear evolution equations is derived that describes the formation of deep irregular pores.

The other part of this thesis includes the study of a biological double-membrane consisting of two coupled lipid bilayers, typical of some intracellular organelles and bacteria. We first consider a multi-component double-membrane in which the curvatures of the two membranes and the distance between them are coupled to the lipid chemical compositions. Secondly, we examine the effect of non-equilibrium chemical fluxes across a double-membrane. We consider the dependence of the fluxes on the concentration of the transported chemical and on the membrane curvature, as well as the coupling of the intermembrane distance with the intermembrane concentration. For both systems, a phenomenological free-energy functional is formulated and the derived nonlinear evolution equations are studied. In the first case, we focus on phase separation in the double-membrane system. In the second case, we concentrate on the effect of the intermembrane chemical transport on the membrane dynamics. Linear stability analysis is performed and the domains of parameters are found in which the double-membrane is stable. For parameter values corresponding to an unstable membrane, numerical simulations reveal various types of complex dynamics, including the formation of stationary, spatially-periodic patterns in the first system, and in the second system, oscillations in the chemical concentration and membrane shape.

 
AdviserAlexander A. Golovin
SchoolNORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
SourceDAI/B 69-11, p. , Jan 2009
Source TypeDissertation
SubjectsMathematics
Publication Number3331159
Adobe PDF Access the complete dissertation:
 

» Find an electronic copy at your library.
  Use the link below to access a full citation record of this graduate work:
  http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl%3furl_ver=Z39.88-2004%26res_dat=xri:pqdiss%26rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation%26rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:3331159
  If your library subscribes to the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (PQDT) database, you may be entitled to a free electronic version of this graduate work. If not, you will have the option to purchase one, and access a 24 page preview for free (if available).

About ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
With over 2.3 million records, the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (PQDT) database is the most comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses in the world. It is the database of record for graduate research.

The database includes citations of graduate works ranging from the first U.S. dissertation, accepted in 1861, to those accepted as recently as last semester. Of the 2.3 million graduate works included in the database, ProQuest offers more than 1.9 million in full text formats. Of those, over 860,000 are available in PDF format. More than 60,000 dissertations and theses are added to the database each year.

If you have questions, please feel free to visit the ProQuest Web site - http://www.proquest.com - or call ProQuest Hotline Customer Support at 1-800-521-3042.