Thermal breakage of a semiflexible polymer: Breakage profile and rate

TL;DR

This paper provides an analytical framework for understanding how thermal fluctuations cause breakage in semi-flexible polymers, with implications for biopolymer stability and design.

Contribution

It introduces the first asymptotically exact analytical model for thermal breakage in semi-flexible polymers at low temperatures and high friction.

Findings

Derived analytical expressions for breakage propensity and rate.

Results applicable to biopolymers and their stability.

Highlights the importance of thermal fluctuations in polymer breakage.

Abstract

Understanding fluctuation-induced breakages in polymers has important implications for basic and applied sciences. Here I present for the first time an analytical treatment of the thermal breakage problem of a semi-flexible polymer model that is asymptotically exact in the low temperature and high friction limits. Specifically, I provide analytical expressions for the breakage propensity and rate, and discuss the generalities of the results and their relevance to biopolymers.