Related papers: Plectoneme dynamics and statistics in braided poly…
We investigate the static and dynamic properties of a celebrated model of social segregation, providing a complete explanation of the mechanisms leading to segregation both in one- and two-dimensional systems. Standard statistical physics…
The aim of this paper is to compare results from lattice-Boltzmann and Brownian dynamics simulations of linear chain molecules. We have systematically varied the parameters that may affect the accuracy of the lattice-Boltzmann simulations,…
We consider a simple lattice model of a topological phase transition in open polymers. To be precise, we study a model of self-avoiding walks on the simple cubic lattice tethered to a surface and weighted by an appropriately defined writhe.…
We study mixtures of self-propelled and passive rod-like particles in two dimensions using Brownian dynamics simulations. The simulations demonstrate that the two species spontaneously segregate to generate a rich array of dynamical domain…
Ostwald's Rule of Stages, which is one of the most widely observed phenomena associated with crystallization of polymorphs, follows naturally from the thermodynamics of nucleation. However, most observations of its manifestations have been…
We develop a new, dynamical field theory of isotropic randomly branched polymers, and we use this model in conjunction with the renormalization group (RG) to study several prominent problems in the physics of these polymers. Our model…
The statistical mechanics of a ribbon polymer made up of two semiflexible chains is studied using both analytical techniques and simulation. The system is found to have a crossover transition at some finite temperature, from a type of short…
Semiflexible polymers in concentrated lyotropic solution are studied within a bead-spring model by molecular dynamics simulations, focusing on the emergence of a smectic A phase and its properties. We systematically vary the density of the…
We characterize the fluctuation properties of a polymer chain under external tension and the fluctuation-induced forces between two ring molecules threaded around the chain. The problem is relevant in the context of fluctuation-induced…
Molecular dynamics simulation methods are used to study the folding of polymer chains into packed cubic states. The polymer model, based on a chain of linked sites moving in the continuum, includes both excluded volume and torsional…
Statistical tools are crucial for studying and modeling turbulent flows, where chaotic velocity fluctuations span a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. Advances in image velocimetry, especially in tracking-based methods, now allow…
We study classical dynamics of a probe Dp-brane moving in a background sourced by a stack of Dp-branes. In this context the physics is similar to that of the effective action for open-string tachyon condensation, but with a power-law…
We investigate the statistical mechanics of a torsionally constrained polymer. The polymer is modeled as a fluctuating rod with bend stiffness A kT and twist stiffness C kT. In such a model, thermal bend fluctuations couple geometrically to…
We report on a computational study of the statics and dynamics of long flexible linear polymers that spontaneously knot and unknot. Specifically, the equilibrium self-entanglement properties, such as the knotting probability, knot length…
The structure and vibrational density of states (VDOS) of polymer glasses are investigated using numerical simulations based on the classical Kremer-Grest bead-spring model. We focus on the roles of chain length and bending stiffness, the…
A directed polymer is allowed to branch, with configurations determined by global energy optimization and disorder. A finite size scaling analysis in 2D shows that, if disorder makes branching more and more favorable, a critical transition…
The primary distinction between solid and liquid phases is mechanical rigidity, with liquids having a disordered atomic structure that allows flow. While melting is a common phase transition, its microscopic mechanisms still remain unclear.…
Certain bacteria form filamentous colonies when the cells fail to separate after dividing. In Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus thermus, and cyanobacteria, the filaments can wrap into complex supercoiled structures as the cells grow. The…
We study the conformation and dynamics of a single polymer chain that is pulled by a constant force applied at its one end with the other end free. Such a situation is relevant to the growing technology of manipulating individual…
Polycrystalline graphene has an inherent tendency to buckle, i.e. develop out-of-plane, three-dimensional structure. A force applied to stretch a piece of polycrystalline graphene influences the out-of-plane structure. Even if the graphene…