Tension Dynamics and Linear Viscoelastic Behavior of a Single Semiflexible Polymer Chain

TL;DR

This paper analytically investigates the linear viscoelastic response of a single semiflexible polymer chain under oscillatory forces, revealing frequency-dependent behaviors distinct from Rouse dynamics and providing new scaling insights.

Contribution

It introduces a theoretical analysis of the viscoelastic response of semiflexible polymers, highlighting novel frequency-dependent compliance behaviors and developing a scaling argument.

Findings

Real part of compliance matches static results at low frequency

Imaginary part shows power-law dependence +1/2 at low frequency

Compliances decrease with power law -7/8 at high frequency

Abstract

We study the dynamical response of a single semiflexible polymer chain based on the theory developed by Hallatschek et al. for the wormlike-chain model. The linear viscoelastic response under oscillatory forces acting at the two chain ends is derived analytically as a function of the oscillation frequency . We shall show that the real part of the complex compliance in the low frequency limit is consistent with the static result of Marko and Siggia whereas the imaginary part exhibits the power-law dependence +1/2. On the other hand, these compliances decrease as the power law -7/8 for the high frequency limit. These are different from those of the Rouse dynamics. A scaling argument is developed to understand these novel results.