Channel deformations during elastocapillary spreading of gaseous embolisms in biomimetic leaves

Fuente: arXiv
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Hauptverfasser: Gauci, François-Xavier, Jami, Ludovic, Keiser, Ludovic, Cohen, Céline, Noblin, Xavier
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2025
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author Gauci, François-Xavier
Jami, Ludovic
Keiser, Ludovic
Cohen, Céline
Noblin, Xavier
author_facet Gauci, François-Xavier
Jami, Ludovic
Keiser, Ludovic
Cohen, Céline
Noblin, Xavier
contents The nucleation and/or spreading of bubbles in water under tension (due to water evaporation) can be problematic for most plants along the ascending sap network from root to leaves, named xylem. Due to global warming, trees facing drought conditions are particularly threatened by the formation of such air embolisms, which spreads intermittently and hinder the flow of sap and could ultimately result in their demise. PDMS-based biomimetic leaves simulating evapotranspiration have demonstrated that, in a linear configuration, the existence of a slender constriction in the channel allows for the creation of intermittent embolism propagation (as an interaction between the elasticity of the biomimetic leaf (mainly the deformable ceiling of the microchannels) and the capillary forces at the air/water interfaces) \cite{Keiser2022}-\cite{keiser2024}. Here we use analog PDMS-based biomimetic leaves in 1d and 2d. To better explore the embolism spreading mechanism, we add to the setup an additional technique, allowing to measure directly the microchannel's ceiling deformation versus time, which corresponds to the pressure variations. We present here such a method that allows to have quantitative insights in the dynamics of embolism spreading. The coupling between channel deformations and the Laplace pressure threshold explains the observed elastocapillary dynamics.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2501_05832
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Channel deformations during elastocapillary spreading of gaseous embolisms in biomimetic leaves
Gauci, François-Xavier
Jami, Ludovic
Keiser, Ludovic
Cohen, Céline
Noblin, Xavier
Fluid Dynamics
Biological Physics
The nucleation and/or spreading of bubbles in water under tension (due to water evaporation) can be problematic for most plants along the ascending sap network from root to leaves, named xylem. Due to global warming, trees facing drought conditions are particularly threatened by the formation of such air embolisms, which spreads intermittently and hinder the flow of sap and could ultimately result in their demise. PDMS-based biomimetic leaves simulating evapotranspiration have demonstrated that, in a linear configuration, the existence of a slender constriction in the channel allows for the creation of intermittent embolism propagation (as an interaction between the elasticity of the biomimetic leaf (mainly the deformable ceiling of the microchannels) and the capillary forces at the air/water interfaces) \cite{Keiser2022}-\cite{keiser2024}. Here we use analog PDMS-based biomimetic leaves in 1d and 2d. To better explore the embolism spreading mechanism, we add to the setup an additional technique, allowing to measure directly the microchannel's ceiling deformation versus time, which corresponds to the pressure variations. We present here such a method that allows to have quantitative insights in the dynamics of embolism spreading. The coupling between channel deformations and the Laplace pressure threshold explains the observed elastocapillary dynamics.
title Channel deformations during elastocapillary spreading of gaseous embolisms in biomimetic leaves
topic Fluid Dynamics
Biological Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.05832