Wrinkle formations in axi-symmetrically stretched membranes

We study experimentally the main features of wrinkles that form in an initially stretched and flat elastic membrane when subjected to an axi-symmetric traction force at the center. The wavelength and amplitude of the wrinkle pattern are accurately characterized as the membrane tension and the tracti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The European physical journal. E, Soft matter and biological physics Soft matter and biological physics, 2004-10, Vol.15 (2), p.117-126
Main Authors: GEMINARD, J.-C, BERNAL, R, MELO, F
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cell Movement - physiology
Chemistry
Colloidal state and disperse state
Elasticity
Exact sciences and technology
General and physical chemistry
General Physics
Locomotion
Membranes
Membranes - physiology
Metals - chemistry
Models, Biological
Physics
Skin Aging - physiology
Tensile Strength
Viscosity
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Summary:We study experimentally the main features of wrinkles that form in an initially stretched and flat elastic membrane when subjected to an axi-symmetric traction force at the center. The wavelength and amplitude of the wrinkle pattern are accurately characterized as the membrane tension and the traction forced are varied. We show that wrinkles are the result of a supercritical instability and appear for a well-defined critical traction force that is a function of the membrane tension. Wrinkle length and amplitude increase as the traction force is increased further. By contrast, both quantities decrease as the membrane tension is increased. Calculations based on symmetry arguments and elastic-energy minimization are in good agreement with experiments and provide a simple way to investigate configurations that are difficult to access experimentally. Such problems include wrinkles in elastic nano-films on finite-thickness viscous substrates used in semiconductor technology or in cellular forces detection.
ISSN:1292-8941
1292-895X
DOI:10.1140/epje/i2004-10041-1