Fluctuating semiflexible polymer ribbon constrained to a ring
Biomolecules
2008-02-07 v2 Soft Condensed Matter
Abstract
Twist stiffness and an asymmetric bending stiffness of a polymer or a polymer bundle is captured by the elastic ribbon model. We investigate the effects a ring geometry induces to a thermally fluctuating ribbon, finding bend-bend coupling in addition to twist-bend coupling. Furthermore, due to the geometric constraint the polymer's effective bending stiffness increases. A new parameter for experimental investigations of polymer bundles is proposed: the mean square diameter of a ribbonlike ring, which is determined analytically in the semiflexible limit. Monte Carlo simulations are performed which affirm the model's prediction up to high flexibility.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.0708.0111,
title = {Fluctuating semiflexible polymer ribbon constrained to a ring},
author = {Karen Alim and Erwin Frey},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0708.0111},
year = {2008}
}
Comments
6 pages, 3 figures, Version as published in Eur. Phys. J. E