Straightening of Thermal Fluctuations in Semi-Flexible Polymers by Applied Tension

TL;DR

This paper studies how tension propagates along semi-flexible polymers under thermal fluctuations, revealing sub-diffusive behavior and the effects of tension on propagation dynamics through analytical and numerical methods.

Contribution

It introduces a generalized model for tension propagation in semi-flexible polymers, highlighting different behaviors under tension and thermal fluctuations.

Findings

Sub-diffusive tension propagation with exponent 1/4

Tense polymers show different tension profiles with exponent 1/2

Analytical and numerical methods confirm non-linear propagation dynamics

Abstract

We investigate the propagation of a suddenly applied tension along a thermally excited semi-flexible polymer using analytical approximations, scaling arguments and numerical simulation. This problem is inherently non-linear. We find sub-diffusive propagation with a dynamical exponent of 1/4. By generalizing the internal elasticity, we show that tense strings exhibit qualitatively different tension profiles and propagation with an exponent of 1/2.