Related papers: Force-induced Unbinding Dynamics in a Multidimensi…
Bond rupture under the action of external forces is induced by temperature fluctuations. We show that measured forces from single molecule force spectroscopy experiments can be predicted from two quantities describing the bond that are the…
Passive flow control via fluid-structure interaction (FSI) is a promising paradigm for unmanned aerial vehicles operating in vortex-dominated low Reynolds number regimes. A flexible structure has the potential to passively alter key…
We explore dynamic structural superlubricity for the case of a relatively large contact area, where the friction force is proportional to the area (exceeding $\sim 100\,nm^2$) experimentally, numerically, and theoretically. We use a setup…
The properties of the interface between solid and melt are key to solidification and melting, as the interfacial free energy introduces a kinetic barrier to phase transitions. This makes solidification happen below the melting temperature,…
We study the free energy and dynamics of a closed elastic filament (a one-dimensional curve in two dimensions) whose local internal state is specified by curvature, stretch, and a scalar density field representing, for example, the…
The surface free energy is the difference between the free energies for a system with open boundary conditions and the same system with periodic boundary conditions. We use the quantum transfer matrix formalism to express the surface free…
We present force-clamp data on the collapse of ubiquitin polyproteins in response to a quench in the force. These nonequilibrium trajectories are analyzed using a general method based on a diffusive assumption of the end-to-end length to…
Engineering molecular systems that exhibit complex behavior requires the design of kinetic barriers. For example, an effective catalytic pathway must have a large barrier when the catalyst is absent. While programming such energy barriers…
Single-file transport, arising in quasi one-dimensional geometries where particles cannot pass each other, is characterized by the anomalous dynamics of a probe, notably its response to an external force. In these systems, the motion of…
The force induced unzipping transition of a double stranded DNA is considered from a purely thermodynamic point of view. This analysis provides us with a set of relations that can be used to test microscopic theories and experiments. The…
We use a free energy functional theory to elucidate general properties of heterogeneously ordering, fast folding proteins, and we test our conclusions with lattice simulations. We find that both structural and energetic heterogeneity can…
Fiberboids are active filaments trapped at the interface of two phases, able of harnessing energy (and matter) fluxes across the interface in order to produce a rolling-like self-propulsion. We discuss several table-top examples and develop…
The equilibrium free energy landscape of an off-lattice model protein as a function of an internal (reaction) coordinate is reconstructed from out-of-equilibrium mechanical unfolding manipulations. This task is accomplished via two…
A new method has been proposed to evaluate the frictional force in the stationary state. This method is applied to the 1-dimensional model of clean surfaces. The kinetic frictional force is seen to depend on velocity in general, but the…
We discuss the thermodynamic behaviour near the force induced unzipping transition of a double stranded DNA in two different ensembles. The Y-fork is identified as the coexisting phases in the fixed distance ensemble. From finite size…
The framework of transition state theory (TST) provides a powerful way for analyzing the dynamics of physical and chemical reactions. While TST has already been successfully used to obtain reaction rates for systems with a single…
Intermolecular forces are known to precipitate adhesion events between solid bodies. Inspired by a macro-scale experiment showing the hysteretic adhesion of a piece of flexible tape over a plastic substrate, we develop here a model of…
Molecular motors walk along filaments until they detach stochastically with a force-dependent unbinding rate. Here, we show that this unbinding rate can be obtained from the analysis of experimental data of molecular motors moving in…
Deviations from linearity in the dependence of the logarithm of protein unfolding rates, $\log k_u(f)$, as a function of mechanical force, $f$, measurable in single molecule experiments, can arise for many reasons. In particular, upward…
Using concepts from classical density functional theory (DFT) we investigate the freezing of a two-dimensional (2D) system of ultra-soft particles in a one-dimensional (1D) external potential; a phenomenon often called laser-induced…