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Constraint forces on small elastic structures arising from thermal fluctuations
=L.B. Freund, Ph.D.= ==Timoshenko Lecture== ===May 5, 2011=== Small biological structures in the form of condensates of bio-molecules are often idealized as elastic structural elements constrained by their surroundings. For example, an actin filament might be treated as a beam with end constraints or a cell membrane might be treated as a plate or shell with edge constraints. Furthermore, these structures commonly fulfill their biological functions in a water environment at a temperature on the order of 30C and, consequently, they experience thermal fluctuations due to Brownian motion. The forces of constraint are indeed small in magnitude when considered in the context of structural mechanics, but these constraints must be maintained by relatively weak molecular bonds. In this lecture, we will discuss methods for determining estimates of those constraint forces induced by thermal fluctuations within the framework of equilibrium statistical mechanics. After earning Bachelors and Masters degrees at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1964 and 1965, respectively, Freund earned his Ph.D. degree from Northwestern University in 1967 in the program on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics. Thereafter, he served on the Faculty of the Division of Engineering at Brown University until 2010, including a term as Chair of the Engineering Executive Committee. During this period, he has also held visiting appointments at Harvard University, twice at Stanford University, University of California at Berkeley, twice at the California Institute of Technology and the University of Illinois. He is currently the H. L. Goddard University Professor (emeritus) at Brown University.
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Constraint forces on small elastic structures arising from thermal fluctuations
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