Electro-orientation spectra of hematic cells

We calculate the turnover frequency spectra for erythrocyte hematic cells. For this purpose we present a simple approach to calculate the electric field induced torque on essentially dielectric objects. We define an effective dipole moment as a function of the cell internal electric field distribution which is determined by using an adaptive finite-element numerical method. The realistic shape of the erythrocyte, with a structure formed by cytoplasm and a single layer membrane, is generated by a parameterization in terms of Jacobi elliptic functions. A comparison of the calculated orientational spectra with experimental erythrocyte electro-orientation data shows quantitatively the effect of an accurate geometry and cell structure in the derivation of electrical parameters from fittings of theoretical models to experimental data.