Micro-heterogeneity metrics for diffusion in soft matter.

ABSTRACT: Passive particle tracking of diffusive paths in soft matter, coupled with analysis of the path data, is firmly established as a fundamental methodology for characterization of both diffusive transport properties (the focus here) and linear viscoelasticity. For either focus, particle time series are typically analyzed by ensemble averaging over paths, a perfectly natural protocol for homogeneous materials or for applications where mean properties are sufficient. Many biological materials, however, are heterogeneous over length scales above the probe diameter, and the implications of heterogeneity for biologically relevant transport properties (e.g. diffusive passage times through a complex fluid layer) motivate this paper. Our goals are three-fold: first, to detect heterogeneity as reflecte

SUBMITTER: Mellnik J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4186960 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature