首页 | 本学科首页   官方微博 | 高级检索  
   检索      


Euler buckling-induced folding and rotation of red blood cells in an optical trap
Authors:Ghosh A  Sinha Supurna  Dharmadhikari J A  Roy S  Dharmadhikari A K  Samuel J  Sharma S  Mathur D
Institution:Harish Chandra Research Institute, Chhatnag Road, Allahabad 211 019, India.
Abstract:We investigate the physics of an optically driven micromotor of biological origin. When a single, live red blood cell (RBC) is placed in an optical trap, the normal biconcave disc shape of the cell is observed to fold into a rod-like shape. If the trapping laser beam is circularly polarized, the folded RBC rotates. A model based on geometric considerations, using the concept of buckling instabilities, captures the folding phenomenon; the rotation of the cell is rationalized using the Poincaré sphere. Our model predicts that (i) at a critical power of the trapping laser beam the RBC shape undergoes large fluctuations, and (ii) the torque that is generated is proportional to the power of the laser beam. These predictions are verified experimentally. We suggest a possible mechanism for the emergence of birefringent properties in the RBC in the folded state.
Keywords:
本文献已被 PubMed 等数据库收录!
设为首页 | 免责声明 | 关于勤云 | 加入收藏

Copyright©北京勤云科技发展有限公司  京ICP备09084417号