Fracture Mechanics Studies of Adhesion in Biological Systems

A fracture mechanics based methodology for quantifying adhesive interactions between soft solids, or between a soft solid and a rigid substrate, is reviewed. An emphasis is placed on the application of these techniques to the characterization of adhesive interactions in biological systems. Results from experiments involving the adhesion of gelatin hydrogels to hydrophilic and hydrophobic substrates are described as an illustration of the application of these methods. In these experiments a hemispherical gelatin cap is brought into contact with a flat surface. Separation of the two materials is described in terms of crack propagation along the gelatin/substrate interface. Simultaneous measurements of the applied load, the resulting displacement, and the contact area between the two materials enable us to determine the elastic modulus of the cap, in addition to the crack driving force, or energy release rate. The adhesive behavior of the interface is quantified by the relationship between the energy release rate and the crack velocity. Analogies are made to information obtained from contact angle measurements, and from measurements made with the Israelachvili surface forces apparatus.     

The calculation of matrix elements for valence bond functions

Pauling's formulas for the calculation of matrix elements for valence bond functions are derived using a simple substitutional process. The results generalize and simplify the formulas. In particular, the formulas do not depend upon orthogonality of atomic orbitals nor upon the nature of the choice of bond structures (canonical or not). The results are particularly adaptable to automatic computation.     

A configuration interaction study of the four lowest 1∑+ states of the LiH molecule

A configuration interaction study was completed on the ¹∑⁺ states of the LiH molecule using a nonorthogonal one-electron basis in elliptical coordinates. A few wave functions with highly optimized parameters were obtained for the X¹∑⁺ and A¹∑⁺ states and combined to construct a larger wave function which gave improved results for both states over a wide range of R values. The third and fourth roots are also reported since the wave function is extensive enough to give good upper bounds for the two states. Calculations were completed for 34 values R in the range 1 ≤ R ≤ 10 bohr (b). The calculated X¹∑⁺ curve has a minimum at Re = 3.060b (3.015b), with E(Re) = ?8.0556 Hartree (H) (?8.0704), μ(Re) = ?5.89 debye (d) (?5.88d) and μ/(R dμ/dR)|_Re = 1.75 (1.80 ± 0.3). For the A¹∑⁺ state, Re = 4.928b (4.906b), E(Re) = ?7.9372H(?7.9496H), μ(Re) = +3.96d and μ/(R dμ/dR)|_Re = ?-0.471. The values in parentheses are experimental results for comparison. The numerical vibrational and rotational analysis agreed well with experiment for both states. The A¹∑⁺ state exhibited a pronounced negative anharmonicity. Both states show strong interaction of three zeroth-order configurations, the nature of which changes considerably with R. The thus far unobserved second excited state has two minima, a metastable one at R = 3.70b and another at R ≈ 10.00b. The third excited state also appears to have a minimum at R ≈ 7.00b.     

Extreme strain localization and sliding friction in physically associating polymer gels

Model physically associating gels deformed in shear over a wide range of reduced rates displayed evidence of strain localization. The nonlinear stress responses and inhomogeneous velocity profiles observed during shear rheometry coupled with particle tracking velocimetry were associated with the occurrence of rate-dependent banding and fracture-like responses in the gel. Scaling law analysis from traditional sliding friction studies suggests that, at the molecular level, deformation is confined to a shear zone with thickness comparable to the mesh size of the gel, the smallest structurally relevant length scale in the gel.     

Valid strain measurements for structural dynamic testing

Experimental Techniques -     

Antisymmetric magnetoresistance in magnetic multilayers with perpendicular anisotropy

While magnetoresistance (MR) has generally been found to be symmetric in applied field in nonmagnetic or magnetic metals, we have observed antisymmetric MR in Co/Pt multilayers. Simultaneous domain imaging and transport measurements show that the antisymmetric MR is due to the appearance of domain walls that run perpendicular to both the magnetization and the current, a geometry existing only in materials with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. As a result, the extraordinary Hall effect gives rise to circulating currents in the vicinity of the domain walls that contributes to the MR. The antisymmetric MR and extraordinary Hall effect have been quantitatively accounted for by a theoretical model.     

Chirality of a forming spin spring and remagnetization features of a bilayer ferromagnetic system

Distribution of a magnetic moment in an exchange-coupled bilayer Fe/SmCo epitaxial structure grown on a (110) MgO substrate is visualized by the magnetooptic indicator film technique. The direction and the magnitude of the effective magnetization in this structure are determined both under external magnetic fields of variable magnitude and direction and after the removal of these fields. It is shown that such a heterostructure is remagnetized by a nonuniform rotation of a magnetic moment both along the thickness of a sample and in its plane. A field antiparallel to the axis of unidirectional anisotropy gives rise to spin springs with opposite chiralities in different regions of the magnetically soft ferromagnetic layer. The contributions of these springs to the net magnetization cancel out, thus decreasing the averaged magnetic moment and the remanent magnetization without their rotation. When the external field deviates from the easy axis, the balance is violated and the sample exhibits a quasi-uniform rotation of the magnetic moment. Asymmetry in the rotation of the magnetic moment is observed under the reversal of the field as well as under repeated remagnetization cycles. It is established that a monochiral spin spring is also formed in a rotating in-plane magnetic field when the magnitude of the field exceeds the critical value. Possible mechanisms of remagnetization in this system are discussed with regard to the original disordered orientation of magnetization of the magnetically soft layer with respect to the easy axis, which is defined by the variance of unidirectional anisotropy axes of this layer on the interface.     

Scaling analysis of the magnetocaloric effect in Gd5Si2Ge1.9X0.1 (X=Al, Cu, Ga, Mn, Fe, Co)

The field dependence of the magnetic entropy change has been studied for a series of doped Gd₅Si₂Ge₂ alloys, which possess a magnetic phase transition that is either entirely second order or a combination of primarily second-order mixed to a very minor degree with a first-order transition arising from a magneto-structural phase change. By analyzing the field scaling of the refrigerant capacity as well as of the reference temperatures used for constructing a universal scaling curve, a procedure for estimating the values of the critical exponents for the alloys was developed. For the cases where the transition is entirely second order, the results obtained from this procedure are comparable to the values obtained from the Kouvel–Fisher method. For the case of Fe-doped alloys which partially possess a first-order phase change, the Kouvel–Fisher method is inapplicable. However, their critical exponents determined by our developed procedure can be used to estimate the Curie temperature of the orthorhombic majority phase.