Uploaded September 2009 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In this version, the "lipids" start in a regular grid and have and explosive release engergy, and then gradually coalesce into a pair of micelles. In versions with altered attraction parameters, I saw fun things like 4 or more micelle's form, and then merge into larger micelles... disappointingly, however, they never flattened out into a bilayer or grew large enough to double up into a vesicle. I may try to greatly increase the numbers...General description below:
Frustrated with my first attempts and unable to find an equilibrium for the attractive forces that would allow the rigid bodies ("lipids") to explore laterally while tending to remain bound to the bilayer, I decided to code some charges into MoDynamics. The red ends are lightly attracted to all geometry, the blue ends repel one another and the grey middles are benign. This is a highly contrived system, but comes fairly close to achieving the dynamics I would like to imply relatively realistic lipid behavior for introductory audiences.
In this version, the "lipids" start in a regular grid and have and explosive release engergy, and then gradually coalesce into a pair of micelles. In versions with altered attraction parameters, I saw fun things like 4 or more micelle's form, and then merge into larger micelles... disappointingly, however, they never flattened out into a bilayer or grew large enough to double up into a vesicle. I may try to greatly increase the numbers...General description below:
Frustrated with my first attempts and unable to find an equilibrium for the attractive forces that would allow the rigid bodies ("lipids") to explore laterally while tending to remain bound to the bilayer, I decided to code some charges into MoDynamics. The red ends are lightly attracted to all geometry, the blue ends repel one another and the grey middles are benign. This is a highly contrived system, but comes fairly close to achieving the dynamics I would like to imply relatively realistic lipid behavior for introductory audiences.
