Paper Number
PO115 

Session
Poster Session

Title
Stress-stabilized sub-isostatic rope networks

Presentation Date and Time
October 17, 2018 (Wednesday) 6:30

Track / Room
Poster Session / Woodway II/III

Authors (Click on name to view author profile)

1. Arzash, Sadjad (Rice University, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering)
2. Shivers, Jordan (Rice University, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering)
3. Licup, Albert J. (Vrije Universiteit, Department of Physics and Astronomy)
4. Sharma, Abhinav (Leibniz Institute for Polymer Research)
5. MacKintosh, Fred C. (Rice University, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering)

Author and Affiliation Lines (in printed abstract book)
Sadjad Arzash¹, Jordan Shivers¹, Albert J. Licup², Abhinav Sharma³, and Fred C. MacKintosh^1
1Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005; ²Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; ³Leibniz Institute for Polymer Research, Dresden 01069, Germany

Speaker / Presenter 
Arzash, Sadjad

Text of Abstract
Sub-isostatic biopolymer networks with only central force interactions exhibit a mechanical phase transition from floppy (unstable) to rigid state under simple shear deformation. Introducing weak bending interactions stabilizes these networks and decreases the critical signatures of this transition. We show that applying large enough external normal stresses on a sub-isostatic network with only tensile central force interactions (rope limit) also stabilizes the networks and removes the criticality. Moreover, for small prestresses, we find a sub-linear scaling relation between linear shear modulus and the prestress. Interestingly, this power-law exponent appears to be independent of network's connectivity. We also find an increasing shift in the onset of strain stiffening under simple shear deformation by applying external stresses.