Random sequential adsorption of spheres on a cylinder
Random sequential adsorption of spheres on a cylinder
E. Memet, N.Tanjeem, C. Greboval, V. N. Manoharan and L. Mahadevan EPL, 127 (2019) 38004. 2019.
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Abstract
Inspired by observations of beads packed on a thin string in such systems as sea-grapes and dental plaque, we study the random sequential adsorption of spheres on a cylinder. We determine the asymptotic fractional coverage of the cylinder as a function of the sole parameter in the problem, the ratio of the sphere radius to the cylinder radius (for a very long cylinder) using a combination of analysis and numerical simulations. Examining the asymptotic structures, we find weak chiral ordering on sufficiently small spatial scales. Experiments involving colloidal microspheres that can attach irreversibly to a silica wire via electrostatic forces or DNA hybridization allow us to verify our predictions for the asymptotic coverage.