TY - JOUR
T1 - Spontaneous chirality via long-range electrostatic forces
AU - Kohlstedt, Kevin L.
AU - Solis, Francisco J.
AU - Vernizzi, Graziano
AU - De La Cruz, Monica Olvera
PY - 2007/7/19
Y1 - 2007/7/19
N2 - We consider a model for periodic patterns of charges constrained over a cylindrical surface. In particular we focus on patterns of chiral helices, achiral rings, or vertical lamellae, with the constraint of global electroneutrality. We study the dependence of the patterns' size and pitch angle on the radius of the cylinder and salt concentration. We obtain a phase diagram by using numerical and analytic techniques. For pure Coulomb interactions, we find a ring phase for small radii and a chiral helical phase for large radii. At a critical salt concentration, the characteristic domain size diverges, resulting in an achiral macroscopic phase-segregated structure. We discuss possible consequences and generalizations of our model.
AB - We consider a model for periodic patterns of charges constrained over a cylindrical surface. In particular we focus on patterns of chiral helices, achiral rings, or vertical lamellae, with the constraint of global electroneutrality. We study the dependence of the patterns' size and pitch angle on the radius of the cylinder and salt concentration. We obtain a phase diagram by using numerical and analytic techniques. For pure Coulomb interactions, we find a ring phase for small radii and a chiral helical phase for large radii. At a critical salt concentration, the characteristic domain size diverges, resulting in an achiral macroscopic phase-segregated structure. We discuss possible consequences and generalizations of our model.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34547214389&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=34547214389&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.030602
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.030602
M3 - Article
C2 - 17678276
AN - SCOPUS:34547214389
SN - 0031-9007
VL - 99
JO - Physical review letters
JF - Physical review letters
IS - 3
M1 - 030602
ER -