Discontinuous switching of position of two coexisting phases

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Abstract

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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Krüger, S., Weber, C. A., Sommer, J. U., & Jülicher, F. (2018). Discontinuous switching of position of two coexisting phases. New Journal of Physics, 20(7). https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/aad173

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