Phase separation on surfaces in the presence of matter exchange

We present a field theory to describe the composition of a surface spontaneously exchanging matter with its bulk environment. By only assuming matter conservation in the system, we show with extensive numerical simulations that, depending on the matter exchange rates, a complex patterned composition distribution emerges on the surface. For one-dimensional systems we show analytically and numerically that coarsening is arrested and as a consequence domains have a characteristic length scale. Our results show that the causes of heterogeneous lipid composition in cellular membranes may be justified in simple physical terms.

Automated summary

We propose a field theory to explain the composition of a surface exchanging matter with its surrounding environment. By assuming matter conservation, we use numerical simulations to show that a complex patterned composition distribution emerges on the surface depending on the rates of matter exchange. In one-dimensional systems, we analytically and numerically demonstrate that coarsening is inhibited, resulting in characteristic length scales of domains. Our findings provide a simple physical explanation for the heterogeneous lipid composition in cellular membranes.