Spontaneous curvature-induced pearling instability

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Abstract
We investigate the instability of a tubular fluid membrane made of a water soluble surfactant. The tubules are obtained at high brine salinities. The instability is due to the introduction within the vesicle multilayer an alkane.We measure the wavelength of this instability versus the unperturbed radius of the tubules. To interpret this dependenace we use a model that includes not only surface tension in the elastic energy but the spontaneous curvature as well. The spontaneous curvature is induced by the presence of the oil molecules in the bilayer of the membranes and give a selection of a non-zero wavelength.

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