Topologically driven swelling of a polymer loop.
Numerical studies of the average size of trivially knotted polymer loops with no excluded volume were undertaken. Topology was identified by Alexander and Vassiliev degree 2 invariants. Probability of a trivial knot, average gyration radius, and probability density distributions as functions of gyration radius were generated for loops of up to N = 3,000 segments. Gyration radii of trivially knotted loops were found to follow a power law similar to that of self-avoiding walks consistent with earlier theoretical predictions.
Moore
Nathan T
NT
Department of Physics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
Lua
Rhonald C
RC
Grosberg
Alexander Y
AY