A Phase-Field Model for Vesicle Membranes Incorporating Area-Difference Elasticity

Abstract

This paper presents a phase-field model for simulating the three-dimensional deformation of vesicle membranes, incorporating area-difference elasticity, with constraints on bulk volume and surface area. We develop efficient numerical schemes based on the Fourier-spectral method for spatial discretization and temporal evolution. The model successfully captures a wide variety of steady-state vesicle shapes. The numerical experiments demonstrate that by tuning the simulation parameters, the vesicle can transition from a simple discocyte shape to a complex, multi-armed starfish-like and nested configuration. These results highlight the crucial role of area-difference elasticity in determining vesicle morphology.