Shape transitions of high-genus fluid vesicles

Institute for Solid State Physics, University of Tokyo - Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8581, Japan

Received: 6 October 2015
Accepted: 7 December 2015

Abstract

The morphologies of genus-2 to -8 fluid vesicles are studied by using dynamically triangulated membrane simulations with area-difference elasticity. It is revealed that the alignments of the membrane pores alter the vesicle shapes and the types of shape transitions for the genus . At a high reduced volume, a stomatocyte with a circular alignment of g + 1 pores continuously transforms into a discocyte with a line of g pores with increasing intrinsic area difference. In contrast, at a low volume, a stomatocyte transforms into a -hedral shape and subsequently exhibits a discrete phase transition to a discocyte.