Mechanics of metric frustration in contorted filament bundles: From local symmetry to columnar elasticity

Abstract

Bundles of filaments are subject to geometric frustration: certain deformations (e.g. bending while twisted) require longitudinal variations in spacing between filaments. While bundles are common -- from protein fibers to yarns -- the mechanical consequences of longitudinal frustration are unknown. We derive a geometrically-nonlinear formalism for bundle mechanics, using a gauge-like symmetry under reptations along filament backbones. We relate force balance to orientational geometry and assess the elastic cost of frustration in twisted toroidal bundles.