Actively stressed marginal networks

Abstract

We study the effects of motor-generated stresses in disordered three dimensional fiber networks using a combination of a mean-field, effective medium theory, scaling analysis and a computational model. We find that motor activity controls the elasticity in an anomalous fashion close to the point of marginal stability by coupling to critical network fluctuations. We also show that motor stresses can stabilize initially floppy networks, extending the range of critical behavior to a broad regime of network connectivities below the marginal point. Away from this regime, or at high stress, motors give rise to a linear increase in stiffness with stress. Finally, we demonstrate that our results are captured by a simple, constitutive scaling relation highlighting the important role of non-affine strain fluctuations as a susceptibility to motor stress.

8 pages, 4 figures

References in corpus (5)

• Non-equilibrium mechanics and dynamics of motor activated gels
• Non-affine response: jammed packings versus spring networks
• Effective medium theory of semiflexible filamentous networks
• Scaling laws for the response of nonlinear elastic media with implications for cell mechanics
• Mechanical response of active gels

Cited by in corpus (1)

• Dynamical behavior of disordered spring networks