Localization of a Polymer with Internal Constraints

TL;DR

This paper critiques previous simulation results on polymer localization, clarifies the applicability of their criterion, and suggests different universality classes for models with soft and hard constraints, revealing intriguing physics.

Contribution

It clarifies the inapplicability of their localization criterion to certain models and proposes that soft and hard constrained polymers belong to different universality classes.

Findings

The criterion is inapplicable to the models used in previous simulations.

Models with soft and hard constraints likely belong to different universality classes.

Combining simulations with the criterion reveals interesting physical insights.

Abstract

We argue that Kantor and Kardar's assertion that their simulation results contradict our criterion for the localization of a softly constrainted ideal polymer is incorrect. Our criterion is inapplicable to the model used in these simulations. We argue that our criterion for localization of as polymer with internal constraints strongly suggests that the models with soft and hard constraints belong to different universality classes. The size measure used by Kantor and Kardar is also not adequate for studying polymer localization. We also show that, in spite of these contrasts, combining the simulation results with our criterion for ideal chains seems to uncover some intriguing physics.