| Title | Failure of viral shells |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication | 2006 |
| Authors | W. S. Klug, R. F. Bruinsma, J. P. Michel, C. M. Knobler, I. L. Ivanovska, C. F. Schmidt and G. J. L. Wuite |
| Journal Title | PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS |
| Volume | 97 |
| Issue | 22 |
| Date Published | DEC 1 |
| Type of Article | Article |
| Key Words | CAPSIDS, MICROSCOPY, CHLOROTIC MOTTLE VIRUS |
| Abstract | We report a combined theoretical and experimental study of the structural failure of viral shells under mechanical stress. We find that discontinuities in the force-indentation curve associated with failure should appear when the so-called Foppl-von Karman (FvK) number exceeds a critical value. A nanoindentation study of a viral shell subject to a soft-mode instability, where the stiffness of the shell decreases with increasing pH, confirms the predicted onset of failure as a function of the FvK number. |
| URL | http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.228101 |
