title: Nonlinear structures and thermodynamic instabilities in a one-dimensional lattice system.
abstract: The equilibrium states of the discrete Peyrard-Bishop Hamiltonian with one end fixed are computed exactly from the two-dimensional nonlinear Morse map. These exact nonlinear structures are interpreted as domain walls, interpolating between bound and unbound segments of the chain. Their free energy is calculated to leading order beyond the Gaussian approximation. Thermodynamic instabilities (e.g., DNA unzipping and/or thermal denaturation) can be understood in terms of domain wall formation.
authors.affiliation: Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation, Vasileos Constantinou 48, 116 35 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Nikos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Theodorakopoulos
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peyrard
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Mackay
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D008846:Micromanipulation / Q000379:methods*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009691:Nucleic Acid Denaturation; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D004247:DNA