Extension of a wormlike chain with variable persistence length in cylindrical tube confinement

TL;DR

This paper develops a theoretical model for the extension of a wormlike chain with variable persistence length under cylindrical confinement, validated by Brownian dynamics simulations, advancing understanding of confined polymer mechanics.

Contribution

It introduces a novel theory for wormlike chains with variable bending rigidity under cylindrical confinement, supported by simulation validation.

Findings

The theory accurately predicts chain extension behavior.

Simulation results agree well with theoretical predictions.

The model extends understanding of variable rigidity effects in confined polymers.

Abstract

The present paper investigates the extension behavior of a wormlike chain with varied persistence length under the confinement of a cylindrical tube. Based on Odijk theory of a confined polymer chain, we have developed a theory which can describe the mechanical behavior of wormlike chain with varying bending rigidities along the chain. In order to validate our model, we also performed large numbers of Brownian dynamics simulations based on the generalized bead model (GBR), which illustrate that our theory is in good agreement with simulation results.