The stability of solitons in biomembranes and nerves

TY - JOUR

T1 - The stability of solitons in biomembranes and nerves

AU - Lautrup, Benny Elley

AU - Appali, R.

AU - Jackson, Andrew D.

AU - Heimburg, Thomas Rainer

PY - 2011/6/9

Y1 - 2011/6/9

N2 - We examine the stability of a class of solitons, obtained from a generalization of the Boussinesq equation, which have been proposed to be relevant for pulse propagation in biomembranes and nerves. These solitons are found to be stable with respect to small-amplitude fluctuations. They emerge naturally from non-solitonic initial excitations and are robust in the presence of dissipation. Solitary waves pass through each other with only minor dissipation when their amplitude is small. Large-amplitude solitons fall apart into several pulses and small-amplitude noise upon collision when the maximum density of the membrane is limited by the density of the solid phase membrane.

AB - We examine the stability of a class of solitons, obtained from a generalization of the Boussinesq equation, which have been proposed to be relevant for pulse propagation in biomembranes and nerves. These solitons are found to be stable with respect to small-amplitude fluctuations. They emerge naturally from non-solitonic initial excitations and are robust in the presence of dissipation. Solitary waves pass through each other with only minor dissipation when their amplitude is small. Large-amplitude solitons fall apart into several pulses and small-amplitude noise upon collision when the maximum density of the membrane is limited by the density of the solid phase membrane.

U2 - 10.1140/epje/i2011-11057-0

DO - 10.1140/epje/i2011-11057-0

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1292-8941

VL - 34

SP - 11057

JO - The European Physical Journal E: Soft Matter and Biological Physics

JF - The European Physical Journal E: Soft Matter and Biological Physics

IS - 57

ER -