Related papers: A one-dimensional model for theoretical analysis o…
Mechanical stretching of secondary structures is studied through molecular dynamics simulations of a Go-like model. Force vs. displacement curves are studied as a function of the stiffness and velocity of the pulling device. The succession…
The structure of flexible polymers endgrafted in cylindrical pores of diameter D is studied as a function of chain length N and grafting density \sigma, assuming good solvent conditions. A phenomenological scaling theory, describing the…
We compare the Rubinstein-Duke model for reptation to a model where the boundary dynamics is modified by calculating the viscosity of polymer melts. The question is investigated whether the viscosity is determined by details of the dynamics…
We consider self-avoiding polymers attached to the tip of an impenetrable probe. The scaling exponents $\gamma_1$ and $\gamma_2$, characterizing the number of configurations for the attachment of the polymer by one end, or at its midpoint,…
In a number of experimental situations, single polymer molecules can be suspended in a vacuum. Here collisions between such molecules are considered. The limit of high collision velocity is investigated numerically for a variety of…
We analyze static properties of a strongly confined semiflexible polymer, i.e. either trapped in a closed space or compressed by external forces, in an athermal solvent. Like a flexible polymer case, we can resort to an analogy with the…
Entropy is a difficult concept to teach using real-world examples. Unlike temperature, pressure, volume, or work, it's not a quantity which most students encounter in their day-to-day lives. Even the way entropy is often qualitatively…
Constitutive equations are derived for the time-dependent behavior of particle-reinforced elastomers at isothermal loading with finite strains. A rubbery polymer is modelled as a network of macromolecules bridged by junctions which can slip…
The mechanics of single-chain stretching and rupture are central to understanding the resilience of biological polymers and designing strong and tough soft materials such as double-network gels and multi-network elastomers. In this work, we…
Single two dimensional polymers confined to a strip are studied by Monte Carlo simulations. They are described by N-step self-avoiding random walks on a square lattice between two parallel hard walls with distance 1 << D << N^\nu (\nu = 3/4…
We suggest a theoretical description of the force-induced translocation dynamics of a polymer chain through a nanopore. Our consideration is based on the tensile (Pincus) blob picture of a pulled chain and the notion of propagating front of…
The non-equilibrium structural and dynamical properties of a flexible polymer tethered to a reflecting wall and subject to oscillatory linear flow are studied by numerical simulations. Polymer is confined in two dimensions and is modeled as…
Loops undergoing thermal fluctuations are prevalent in nature. Ring-like or cross-linked polymers, cyclic macromolecules, and protein-mediated DNA loops all belong to this category. Stability of these molecules are generally described in…
We use optical tweezers to directly measure the intermolecular forces acting on a single polymer imposed by surrounding entangled polymers (115 kbp DNA, 1 mg/ml). A tube-like confining field was measured in accord with the key assumption of…
The aim of this paper is to investigate the distribution of a continuous polymer in the presence of an attractive finitely supported potential. The most intricate behavior can be observed if we simultaneously and independently vary two…
Polymer models play the special role of elucidating the elementary features describing the physics of long molecules and become essential to interpret the measurements of their magnitudes. In this work the end-to-end distance of an…
The derivation of Marko and Siggia's interpolation formula for the force-extension relation of the Worm-Like Chain Model (C.Bustamante, J.F.Marko, E.D.Siggia, and S.Smith, Science Vol.265, p.1599 (1994); J.F.Marko and E.D.Siggia,…
We compare Monte Carlo simulations of knotted and unknotted polymers whose ends are connected to two parallel walls. The force $f$ exerted on the polymer is measured as a function of the separation $R$ between the walls. For unknotted…
We analyze recent experiments on measuring the thermal Casimir force with account of possible background effects. Special attention is paid to the validity of the proximity force approximation (PFA) used in the comparison between the…
We study the dynamics of a single polymer subject to thermal fluctuations in a linear shear flow. The polymer is modeled as a finitely extendable nonlinear elastic FENE dumbbell. Both orientation and elongation dynamics are investigated…