PERISTALTIC INSTABILITY OF CYLINDRICAL GELS

We investigate here the stability of a gel cylinder subject to a stron g surface tension. Both the criteria for the occurrence of a peristalt ic instability and its dynamical evolution are determined within linea r elasticity. Shrinking gels may show such an instability, as has been reported by Matsuo and Tanaka [Nature 358, 482 (1992)]. Considering a pproximate values of the relevant parameters, we find results in quali tative agreement with their experiments. (C) 1996 American Institute o f Physics.