Abstract
Beetles of the genus Melanophila approach forest fires from large distances away. For the detection of fires and of hot surfaces beetles have evolved infrared (IR) receptors, which have developed from common hair mechanoreceptors and are therefore termed photomechanic. Compared to a hair mechanoreceptor, a photomechanic IR sensillum shows the following two special features: (i) The formation of a complex cuticular sphere instead of the hair shaft; the sphere consists of an outer exocuticular shell as well as of a cavernous microfluidic core. (ii) The enclosure of the dendritic tip of the mechano-sensitive neuron inside the core in a liquid-filled chamber. Hence we propose that the photomechanic IR sensillum represents a microfluidic converter of infrared radiation to an increase of the pressure inside the sphere, which is in turn measured by a mechanosensitive neuron.
A simple model of this biological IR sensor is the Golay sensor filled with a liquid instead of gas. Here absorption of IR radiation results in a pressure increase of the liquid and the deflection of a thin sensor membrane. For the evaluation of this model analytical formulas are presented for the calculation of the pressure increase in the cavity, the deformation of the membrane and the time constant of an artificial leak to compensate for ambient temperature changes. Some organic liquids with high thermal expansion coefficients may improve the deflection of the membrane as compared to water.
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Schmitz, H., Bousack, H. (2012). Designing a fluidic infrared detector based on the photomechanic infrared sensilla in pyrophilous beetles. In: Frontiers in Sensing. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-211-99749-9_20
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-211-99749-9_20
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