Melting of persistent double-stranded polymers

dc.creatorRahi, Sahand Jamal
dc.creatorHertzberg, Mark Peter
dc.creatorKardar, Mehran
dc.date2008-06-17
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T10:17:21Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T10:17:21Z
dc.descriptionMotivated by recent DNA-pulling experiments, we revisit the Poland-Scheraga model of melting a double-stranded polymer. We include distinct bending rigidities for both the double-stranded segments, and the single-stranded segments forming a bubble. There is also bending stiffness at the branch points between the two segment types. The transfer matrix technique for single persistent chains is generalized to describe the branching bubbles. Properties of spherical harmonics are then exploited in truncating and numerically solving the resulting transfer matrix. This allows efficient computation of phase diagrams and force-extension curves (isotherms). While the main focus is on exposition of the transfer matrix technique, we provide general arguments for a reentrant melting transition in stiff double strands. Our theoretical approach can also be extended to study polymers with bubbles of any number of strands, with potential applications to molecules such as collagen.
dc.description9 pages, 7 figures
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/0806.2837
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/0806.2837
dc.identifierPhys. Rev. E 78, 051910 (2008)
dc.identifierdoi:10.1103/PhysRevE.78.051910
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/173823
dc.subjectSoft Condensed Matter
dc.subjectStatistical Mechanics
dc.titleMelting of persistent double-stranded polymers
dc.typetext

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