Eur. Phys. J. E (2017) 40: 32
https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2017-11515-7

Regular Article

Numerical insights into the phase diagram of p-atic membranes with spherical topology

¹ MEMPHYS, Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Pharmacy, University of Southern Denmark, 5230, Odense M, Denmark
² Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, 19104, Philadelphia, PA, USA
³ Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, 600036, Chennai, India

^* e-mail: ipsen@memphys.sdu.dk

Received: 12 August 2016
Accepted: 20 February 2017
Published online: 23 March 2017

Abstract

The properties of self-avoiding p-atic membranes restricted to spherical topology have been studied by Monte Carlo simulations of a triangulated random surface model. Spherically shaped p-atic membranes undergo a Kosterlitz-Thouless transition as expected with topology induced mutually repelling disclinations of the p-atic ordered phase. For flexible membranes the phase behaviour bears some resemblance to the spherically shaped case with a p-atic disordered crumpled phase and p-atic ordered, conformationally ordered (crinkled) phase separated by a KT-like transition with proliferation of disclinations. We confirm the proposed buckling of disclinations in the p-atic ordered phase, while the expected associated disordering (crumpling) transition at low bending rigidities is absent in the phase diagram.