title: Propagation and relaxation of tension in stiff polymers.
abstract: We present a unified theory for the longitudinal dynamic response of a stiff polymer in solution to various external perturbations (mechanical excitations, hydrodynamic flows, electrical fields, temperature quenches, etc.) that can be represented as sudden changes of ambient/boundary conditions. The theory relies on a comprehensive analysis of the nonequilibrium propagation and relaxation of backbone stresses in a wormlike chain. We recover and substantially extend previous results based on heuristic arguments. New experimental implications are pointed out.
authors.affiliation: Hahn-Meitner Institut, Glienicker Strasse 100, 14109 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Oskar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hallatschek
authors.forename: Erwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Frey
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kroy