CONVERGENCE OF AN APPROXIMATION FOR ROTATIONALLY SYMMETRIC TWO-PHASE LIPID BILAYER MEMBRANES

We consider a diffuse interface approximation for the lipid phases of rotationally symmetric two-phase bilayer membranes and rigorously derive its Γ-limit. In particular, we prove that limit vesicles are C¹ across interfaces, which justifies a regularity assumption that is widely made in formal asymptotic and numerical studies. Moreover, a limit membrane may consist of several topological spheres, which are connected at the axis of revolution and resemble complete buds of the vesicle.