The Shape of a Stretched Polymer

TL;DR

This paper develops a theoretical framework using analytical calculations and Monte Carlo simulations to describe how external tension influences the shape and orientation of polymer chains, relevant for experiments and biological contexts.

Contribution

It introduces a novel combined analytical and simulation approach to quantify the shape and orientation of polymers under tension, bridging experimental and in vivo conditions.

Findings

External force significantly alters polymer shape and orientation.

Theoretical predictions match Monte Carlo simulation results.

The framework elucidates the interplay between tension and chain size.

Abstract

The shape of a polymer plays an important role in determining its interactions with other molecules and with the environment, and is in turn affected by both of them. As a consequence, in the literature the shape properties of a chain in many different conditions have been investigated. Here, we characterize the shape and orientational properties of a polymer chain under tension, a physical condition typically realized both in single-molecule experiments and in vivo. By means of analytical calculations and Monte Carlo simulations, we develop a theoretical framework which quantitatively describes these properties, highlighting the interplay between external force and chain size in determining the spatial distribution of a stretched chain.