Authors
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Krüger, S. ; Weber, C. A. ; Sommer, J.-U. ; Jülicher, F.
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Title
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Discontinuous switching of position of two coexisting phases
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Date
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01.07.2018
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Number
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55625
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Abstract
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Liquid–liquid phase separation leads to the formation of condensed phases that coexist with a fluid. Here we investigate how the positions of a condensed phase can be controlled by using concentration gradients of a regulator that influences phase separation. We consider a mean field model of a ternary mixture where a concentration gradient of a regulator is imposed by an external potential. A novel first order phase transition occurs at which the position of the condensed phase switches in a discontinuous manner. This mechanism could have implications for the spatial organisation of biological cells and provides a control mechanism for droplets in microfluidic systems.
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Publisher
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New Journal of Physics
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Wikidata
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Citation
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New Journal of Physics 20 (2018) ID075009
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DOI
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https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/aad173
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Tags
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