Investigación

Hard–colloidal particles in contact with fluctuating membranes

F. Córdoba–Valdés ^a, C. Fleck ^b, and R. Castañeda–Priego ^a

ª Instituto de Física, Universidad de Guanajuato, Loma del Bosque 103, Col. Lomas del Campestre, 37150 León, Guanajuato, México.

^b Department of Mathematics and Physics, University of Freiburg, D–79104, Freiburg, Germany.

Recibido el 9 de agosto de 2007
Aceptado el 11 de septiembre de 2007

Abstract

A model to study the structural and thermodynamic properties of hard–colloidal particles in contact with fluctuating membranes by means of Monte Carlo simulation is proposed. To test the accuracy of our model, we compare the density profile of a system composed of non–interacting point–like particles with the analytical expression derived by Bickel et al. [Phys. Rev. E 70 (2004) 051404]. This model is applicable to colloids with finite size and it can easily be extended to binary systems or systems with long–range (Coulomb–like) interactions.

Keywords: Colloids; membranes; Monte Carlo simulation.

Resumen

Se propone un modelo que utiliza simulación de Monte Carlo para estudiar las propiedades estructurales y termodinámicas de esferas duras coloidales en contacto con membranas fluctuantes. Para verificar la precisión de nuestro modelo, comparamos el perfil de densidad de un sistema compuesto por partículas puntuales no interactuantes con la expresión analítica derivada por Bickel et al. [Phys. Rev. E 70 (2004) 051404]. Este modelo es aplicable al caso de coloides con tamaño finito y puede ser fácilmente extendido a sistemas binarios o sistemas con interacciones de largo alcance (tipo Coulomb).

Descriptores: Coloides; membranas; simulación de Monte Carlo.

PACS: 05.10.Ln; 82.70.Dd; 87.16.Ac; 87.16.Dg

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by PROMEP and CONACyT (grant 46373/A–1 and scholarship 206738).

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